Gorgie boys, here they go

THEY made heavy weather of it, but Hearts eventually saw off little Gretna to start off a party that will have gone on long into the wee sma' hours, if indeed it has even stopped by now.

What was for sure even a couple of hours before kick off was anyone in Gorgie looking for a quiet drink and bite to eat was to be very much out of luck, with the entire Tynecastle area bedecked in maroon and white. It was impossible not to know Hearts were in the final of the country's premier cup competition.

The Tynecastle Arms pub was no exception to this, as was to be expected from such a hotbed of Hearts support. Well before Dougie MacDonald blew for the start of the match, it was standing room only for the unlucky faithful without a ticket.

Three such fans were Tynecastle regulars Lawrie Neilson, Joe Linden and Lorna Whitcross. All predicted a win for their men, but all were gracious enough to admit they knew little Gretna were going to battle them on every inch of the park.

Speaking before the game Lawrie affirmed the feeling of not underestimating the Second Division champions. "I am quietly confident, but Gretna deserve our full respect. If we fail to respect them it could cost us."

Joe was equally cautious; "I can't help but thinking of 1998 when we beat Rangers having gone in as long-shot underdogs. We know only too well the unfancied team can prosper. However, I am always confident and winning the cup would be a fantastic testimony to the squad who have been fantastic all season."

Last but not least to offer their opinion was Lorna, who again was understatedly confident. "Nine times out of ten we would win this game, but this could be the one time and we have to be very cautious. It won't be as easy as some people think and we will again need Paul Hartley and Steven Pressley to inspire us."

Indeed it was star man Hartley who threatened first with a darting burst and shot that brought about the first of a great many sighs from the packed pub. If this was close then some were celebrating the opener when Cesnauskas' shot rattled off the woodwork.

When Alan Main brought off two top-drawer saves in the space of two minutes, there were the already some mutterings about it being just one of those days. By now pre-match revelry had been subdued by a stubborn Gretna resistance.

If confidence had been the watchword before kick off, anxiety was quickly setting in as Rowan Alexander's men started to force the issue for the first time. When only a typical piece of Craig Gordon brilliance kept Gretna out, the hushed tension was broken only long enough for one punter to hail the keeper as "the best there is in Europe, and maybe the world".

With the game not going the way most had dreamed it took nearly a full half hour for the first bona fide sing-song to kick into gear. "Hearts Hearts" reverberated round the history-strewn walls as for the first time the Maroon masses found their voices.

It was a good thing those vocal chords had been exercised as ten minutes later they had a goal to roar when Rudi Skacel ripped his finish past Main.

The cheer that greeted the Czech's goal raised the roof as fans hugged and danced before repeating the jubilation with every subsequent replay.

Half-time and so far so good, although on the balance of play there was reason to worry the margin was not a greater and more comfortable one. Our three Jam Tarts certainly thought so.

"It has all been a bit scrappy. We have had most it, but Gretna have proven they are here to do more than make up the numbers," was the summary of Joe.

Lorna was just as forthright: "We should be ahead by more than we are and that is a worry."

Lawrie was a touch more relaxed with the wafer thin margin: "We really ought to be ahead by more but I will take 1-0."

At the interval, fans from all the surrounding bars met on the street for an impromptu party. Talk about jumping the gun.

With Steve Tosh setting the tone for the minnows and the second half as a whole, the tense feeling of foreboding returned and stronger than ever. Not even a round of Gorgie Boys or one seemingly never-ending Derek Riordan song from a soloist with a voice like a troubled moggy could rouse the spirits.

Only Robbie Neilson's goal-saving lunge mustered a cheer as drinks were supped all the quicker

With a quarter an hour remaining, quiet tension was replaced by stunned disbelief as referee MacDonald pointed to the spot. Cheers then tears followed as Ryan McGuffie levelled matters at the second time of asking.

Level and very tense was how both on and off field matters remained right through until the end of an extra time period, which saw Paul Hartley dismissed much to the despair of everyone. We were going to penalties, and the tension was going through the ceiling.

With the first five penalties tucked away expertly, it was left to Derek Townsley, a former Hibs man, to make the first mistake, with Gordon saving. Lift-off time at the Tynecastle Arms.

By the time Ryan Skelton stepped up for his test of bottle he had to score, he didn't and the cup was coming back to the capital.

Tynceastle? The place was more like a bouncy castle by this stage, as the previously infirm suddenly bopped like teenagers and nobody minded getting a beer shower.

The last word on such a day fittingly can only go to a Hearts fan. Joe summed it all very simply: "All I can say is oh my god, that was nerve-racking beyond all belief. We have won it now and there is going to be one hell of a party round here."

Taken from the Scotsman