HEARTS CHIEF WARY OF NERVES

By Ronnie Esplin, PA Sport

Hearts' director of football Jim Duffy insists nerves could be the Gorgie side's most difficult semi-final obstacle as they attempt to reach their first Tennent's Scottish Cup final since winning the trophy in 1998.

The Jambos won through to the last four with an unconvincing 2-1 victory over Partick Thistle at Tynecastle and go into the hat with rivals Hibernian, Gretna and the winner of the Dundee v Hamilton replay.

Hibs are the only other SPL side still in the competition.

However, Duffy refuted suggestions that he is hoping to avoid their city rivals, claiming traditional semi-final nervousness will need to be overcome regardless of the opposition.

He said: "There will be at least two lower league teams in the hat and people will think we would want to get one of them but we have no preferred draw.

"Semi-finals are nervous occasions and regardless of who we get there will be nerves on the day.

"Our fans and the media would expect us to go through easily if we were drawn against one of the teams outside the SPL.

"But that would give the opposition the added incentive to ram that down our throats and so there would be added nerves.

"If we get Hibs then there will be the pressure of playing against our greatest rivals in the semi-finals. So we don't care who we get - we just want to get to Hampden and win it."

Duffy revealed the Jambos players' slovenly attitude led to a second warm-up for the Gorgie men at half-time in their win over Thistle.

The Edinburgh men looked to be on their way to a comfortable victory over the Bell's Second Division side when Edgaras Jankauskas headed a Paul Hartley cross past helpless Jags keeper Kenny Arthur after only five minutes.

However, the Maryhill men battled back and were in the ascendancy when half-time arrived.

To the bemusement of the packed Tynecastle, the home players came out early for the start of the second half and were put through their paces for a couple of minutes by fitness coach Tom Ritchie.

That unusual ploy seemed to have worked when midfielder Deividas Cesnauskis scored a wonderful second goal just after the hour mark but once again the Jambos seemed to run out of steam.

And after substitute Roman Bednar received the second of his two yellow cards for diving in the Thistle penalty area, the Firhill men pulled a goal back through Mark Roberts with 15 minutes left to set up a gripping finale which Hearts just survived.

Duffy said: We knew we hadn't played as well as we should have, especially in the last 20 minutes of the first half.

"Once Graham (Rix) had given one or two a kick up the backside, we just wanted them to get out early, re-focus and get ready for what we knew was going to be more of the same.

"We didn't want to go out with any chance of being lethargic. We had to get them sharpened up and saying to themselves 'this is a big match for us'

"And I think we started well in the first 15 minutes but then we dropped it again.

"It was tense and fraught but we're just happy to be in the draw."

Taken from sportinglife.com