Berwick 0 Hearts 0

By Chris Bertram, PA Sport

Second Division Berwick Rangers produced a magnificent performance to deny Scottish Premier League outfit Hearts a successful raid over the border in the second round of the Tennents Scottish Cup at Shielfield Park.

The Wee Gers stretched the Tynecastle side throughout the game and withstood a late spell of pressure without much alarm.

Gary Wood and Barry Elliot were a constant threat for the home side and if their finishing had matched their build up play they could have pulled off a huge Cup upset.

Alan Neill, at the heart of the defence, and returning midfielder Martin Neil were lionhearts as Berwick secured a fully deserved replay in Edinburgh.

Hearts boss Craig Levein rung the changes towards the end in search of a winner but will surely be glad to have escaped from chilly Berwick to live to fight another day.

His side rarely got out of second gear and but for their late period of pressure it was difficult to tell which was the Premier league side.

The Borderers indicated they were going to be no pushovers right from the start as Wood's snapshot on three minutes clearly demonstrated.

Elliot then lashed an effort into the side netting having escaped the clutches of the Hearts defence and while Wood also shot wide in the 11th minute with the visitors defence back-pedalling.

Elliot had another effort blocked by the commanding Steven Pressley as the Wee Gers continued to look the more likely to break the deadlock.

Former Celtic midfield man Steve Fulton lifted a free-kick high over the bar - an effort which typified the SPL team's opening performance.

Former Scotland and World Cup striker Gordon Durie drove Hearts' best early chance wide of Berwick keeper Mark McLean's goal on the half hour mark.

Elliot - the Borderers last minute hero in the last round against Cowdenbeath - then blocked Thomas Flogel's clearance but could only shoot straight at Hearts keeper Antti Niemi from a tight angle.

Scotland midfielder Colin Cameron and Steven Boyack, recently signed from Dundee, began to take a grip on the game towards the end of the half but the home side defended stoutly.

It was Cameron who side-footed a fine effort just wide on 47 as Hearts started the second half brightly.

Cameron was then cynically brought down by Neil with the Hearts man set to break free on a lightning counter attack with the Berwick defence all at sea.

Durie's downward header was then well saved by McLean a minute later as the Wee Gers dug deep to keep the SPL side out.

Cameron fed Boyack in the 55th minute and his close range shot was well beaten away by McLean.

Former Rangers Cup winner, Durie, then wastefully shot wide when set up cleverly by Pressley.

Levein pulled off the labouring Robert Tomaschek and replaced him with skilful former Huddersfield and Blackburn midfielder Lee Makel.

Elliot fed striker partner Wood down the right and with the Hearts defence caught square he should have done better than shoot straight at the Niemi.

Levein made a second change in search of the breakthrough when he brought on the tricky Juanjo for the tiring Fulton while Berwick boss Paul Smith replaced namesake Darren with Mark Duthie.

All-action Neil then hit the stanchion with Neimi struggling after a cross-field ball had eluded the back-pedalling Flogel.

Hearts right-back Grant Murray sent Andy Kirk scampering into the box but from an acute angle the Belfast-born striker shot at the legs of McLean.

Levein made his final change when former Scotland striker Gary McSwegan replaced Durie on 84 but despite dominating possession in the last few minutes the Jambos never looked like grabbing a last-gasp winner.

Teams:

Berwick: McLean, McMartin, Gray, Ritchie, Alan Neill, Anthony, Forrest, Neil, Wood (Whelan 89), Elliot (Findlay 80), Darren Smith (Duthie 71).

Subs Not Used: Watt, Pucko.

Booked: Gray, Neil.

Hearts: Niemi, Pressley, Petric, Fulton (Juanjo 71), Cameron, Murray, Flogel, Durie (McSwegan 84), Tomaschek (Makel 60), Boyack, Kirk.

Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Severin.

Att: 3,139

Ref: J Rowbotham (Scotland).


Taken from sportinglife.com