Edinburgh derby on cards for final

It will be in Walter Smith's hands to set up the chance of a capital finale to this season's Tennents Scottish Cup when he makes the draw for the semi-final live on television tonight.

Providing the ballot keeps Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian apart, the first all-Edinburgh showpiece since 1896 - when Hearts beat Hibs 3-1 at Logie Green in the only final ever played outside Glasgow - will become a live possibility.

In fact, since for that to happen would mean that the two Edinburgh sides would have to beat lower-division opposition, the bookmakers will certainly regard it as a probability.

Hearts, though, discovered that it was hazardous to assume progress against opponents from beyond the Scottish Premier League when they were given a bad fright on their own ground by second division Partick Thistle on Saturday before winning 2-1.

Graham Rix, the Hearts coach, is not alone in disliking early kick-offs - his team's tie started at 12.15 to avoid congestion with the influx of Calcutta Cup spectators - and at noon he was fretting over his players' preparedness, having insisted they go for a walk prior to a chicken-and-pasta breakfast three hours previously.

After a delightfully floated header by Edgaras Jankauskas drifted over Kenny Arthur in the Thistle goal only six minutes into the proceedings, most of Rix's players had gone back to bed in their minds.

"I think when you score first, especially if you do it early, it has an adverse effect because players can say, 'job done'. We knew that was far from the case," said Jim Duffy, Hearts' director of football. "At half-time we felt we needed the players to be focused because we had been poor in the first half. We had to wake them up and we definitely started the second half better. We had enough quality in the two goals to do that, although it was a very tense end to the game."

Deividas Cesnauskis' second-half strike, a brilliant swivel and rising left-foot drive, was worthy of being the match winner it proved to be, but when Roman Bednar was ordered off for two needless cautions - the substitute saw yellow first for hindering a free kick and then for diving in an attempt to win a penalty kick - Hearts were back under pressure.

Mark Roberts' clever dribble and shot brought Thistle back into the reckoning and, with the large Jags contingent in full voice, Hearts played out a jittery end to the contest. "We don't care who we get in the semis because we're there, and that means one step closer to the final," Duffy concluded. The Thistle manager, Dick Campbell, having described himself as "pig-sick", headed off to take in the 1-1 draw between Alloa Athletic and Raith Rovers - the Jags visit Raith next weekend - barely consoled by the club's healthy takings from their cup run.

By contrast to their city rivals, Hibernian romped through their tie with fellow SPL side Falkirk at Westfield, winning 5-1. The Falkirk goalkeeper, Allan Ferguson, failed to hold Derek Riordan's early free kick to begin the rout, but it took until midway through the half for Garry O'Connor to double Hibs' lead. Falkirk hopes revived when Daniel McBreen scored, but goals from Ivan Sproule, Gary Caldwell and Steven Fletcher in the final quarter hour guaranteed Hibs' progress. The only goalless tie was at Hamilton, where the Accies drew with Dundee to ensure a replay at Dens Park on Tuesday, March 7 which may be changed to March 9 for TV coverage.

Taken from telegraph.co.uk