Hearts hammer Hibs to book final place

A Paul Hartley hat-trick has helped Hearts hammer Hibernian 4-0 at Hampden to book their place in the Scottish Cup final.

Lithuanian Edgaras Janauskas scored the other goal as the Tynecastle side defeated their Edinburgh rivals, who finished the game with nine men following red cards for Ivan Sproule and Gary Smith.

Hearts will now meet minnows Gretna, who beat Dundee 3-0 in the other semi-final on Saturday, in the showpiece match of the competition back at Hampden on May 13.

The fierce rivalry between the two sides from Edinburgh ensured a busy opening spell for referee Stuart Dougal with numerous meaty tackles early on setting the tone for the match.

Hearts had made the stronger start and in the fifth minute Hartley's sliding pass put Lithuanian striker Janauskas through but his powerful shot from 16-yards was straight at Hibs Polish goalkeeper Zbigniew Malkowski who saved comfortably.

Hibs soon found their stride though and in the 14th minute Steven Whittaker's long range effort required Craig Gordon to tip over his crossbar at full-stretch.

With the game now evenly balanced Gary Caldwell flashed a header over from six-yards from a Kevin Thomson free-kick in the 20th minute.

Two minutes later Malkowski had to look sharp at the other end to palm away Hartley's 25-yard free-kick which looked to be heading for the top corner of the net.

But in the 28th minute Hearts opened the scoring with goal started and finished by Hartley.

The Scotland midfielder collected the ball just inside Hibs' half, played a perfectly weighted pass down the left to Jankauskas and then side-footed the Lithuanian's return across Malkowski and into the net via the post.

Hearts emerged from half-time break without captain Steven Pressley, who had picked up a head knock near the end of the first-half, and Greek international Takis Fyssas took his place.

The change did not disrupt the Tynecastle side too much and only a spectacular save from Malkowski in the 50th minute prevented them from doubling their advantage.

Hartley's free-kick from 25-yards was heading to the top corner, after taking a slight deflection of the Hibs wall, but the Polish keeper threw himself to his right to claw the ball away.

Hearts were now in command of the match and in the 59th minute they deservedly doubled their lead courtesy of a wonderfully taking free-kick from Hartley.

With the foul committed near the touchline, 12 yards from the byline, everyone was expecting the Hearts midfielder to cross into the box. Instead Hartley curled an exquisite right-foot shot between Malkowski and the near post into the net.

The Easter Road side tried to hit back immediately and Gordon was required to palm away a Whittaker drive from 16-yards in the 61st minute.

Hearts's Portuguese defender Jose Goncalves was stretchered off in the 66th minute with what the club's interim boss Valdas Ivanauskas later said was a suspected broken neck.

Any chance of Hibs getting back in the game disappeared in the 77th minute after a moment of madness from Northern Irish international Sproule when he stamped on the back of grounded Hearts defender Robbie Neilson leaving referee Dougal no option but to send him off.

In the 81st minute the Tynecastle side were three ahead when Jankauskas latched on to a weak pass back, rounded Malkowski and side-footed the ball into the empty net.

And Hartley completed the scoring from the penalty spot in the 88th minute, driving the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net, after Smith had hauled down Czech forward Michal Pospisil in the box and became the second Hibs player to receive a red card.