THE BUBBLE BURSTS

THE outcome was what most folk expected but few would have predicted Hearts would be made to sweat so much for victory by a gutsy Gretna side that took them all the way to the last kick of the ball.

When Rudi Skacel opened the scoring just before the interval that should have been the signal for the floodgates to open.

But Gretna turned the maroon tide and stormed back after the break for Ryan McGuffie to equalise and the impossible dream was on again for the Second Division battlers.

To add to the drama Paul Hartley was sent off in extra time and Valdas Ivanauskas must have felt his Champions League-bound Jambos were going to blow it against the massive underdogs.

But the Tynecastle team held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out.

Steven Pressley, Robbie Nielson, Skacel and Michal Pospisil scored. James Grady and Mark Birch tucked their kicks away for Gretna but Derek Townsley had his saved by Craig Gordon and Gavin Skelton's effort flew over the bar.

It was an exciting finish to an extraordinary cup final.

Hearts got off to a flier. Deividas Cesnaukas hit a shot from 20 yards that rattled off Alan Main's right-hand post. Skacel, Edgaras Jankauskas and Roman Bednar also had chances.

Gretna struggled to get out of their own half as Hearts threatened to run over them.

In 25 minutes Hartley was through on Main and looked a cert to score. But inside the box his touch let him down and he over hit the ball into the hands of Main.

Gordon had a nervy start and never settled. His kicking was suspect, his handling dodgy. However, he pulled off a good save from Skelton, stretching full length to tip the ball over after the left-back had rattled in a free-kick from 30 yards.

In 39 minutes the Jambos got the breakthrough that looked inevitable. Neilson hurled in a long throw deep into the Gretna six-yard box.

Jankauskas challenged Chris Innes in the air and the defender flicked the ball on to Skacel at the back post. The lethal Czech's left-foot shot from a tight angle flew past Main.

Skacel was booked by ref Dougie McDonald for taking his jersey off to celebrate.

Gretna had offered decent resistance but had little to offer from middle to front.

When they got the ball, which wasn't often, they gave it away.

But the underdogs came out after the break with fire in their bellies and had a great chance to equalise in 48 minutes.

Stevie Tosh had plenty of time inside the box but his shot from 15 yards flew inches past Gordon's right-hand post.

Had he chosen to roll the ball to McGuffie his team-mate would have had a one-on-one with Gordon. Rowan Alexander changed things in 55 minutes when Davie Nicholls was replaced by David Graham whose attack-minded play was a breath of fresh air for the runaway Second Division champions.

Bednar had a golden chance when Main was 12 yards off his line but from 20 yards out the Czech star's attempted lob went over the bar.

It wasn't Bednar's day. His all round awareness wasn't good enough. A few times he could have found his team-mates with through balls but didn't.

He was replaced in 68 minutes by Pospisil.

Just three minutes earlier Gretna had had a great chance to equalise.

Graham dribbled his way past four Hearts players and rounded keeper Gordon.

The ball was there, four yards out, but as he was about to pull the trigger Neilson appeared from nowhere to slide in and knock it behind. It was as good a tackle as you're likely to see.

In 75 minutes Gretna grabbed the goal their play in the second half deserved through McGuffie when he scored from a rebound from his penalty kick.

Cesnaukas had fouled John O'Neil inside the box and it was a good call from McDonald to point to the spot.

McGuffie stepped up and his shot low to Gordon's right was well kept out by the keeper. But the parry rolled back into the path of the right winger and he tucked the ball away from four yards to make it 1-1.

The fairytale was back on. Suddenly Alexander's troops had a spring in their steps and looked more confident.

Hartley missed another chance in 78 minutes when he sidefooted a Takis Fyssas cross over the bar from 12 yards.

Gretna also continued to attack and Chris Innes and McGuffie had chances to get a winner in normal time.

Three minutes into extra time Jankauskas missed a sitter when he failed to hit the target with a header from just three yards.

Skacel then rattled a post with a left-foot shot and Main kept out a good Hartley effort.

The keeper was my man of the match. He dominated his box and came for crosses all day long.

Just five minutes before the end McDonald denied Hearts a penalty when Skacel was fouled by Main as he tried to round him. The ref wrongly waved play on.

Hartley was sent off with 30 seconds to go. He was cautioned for dissent for the penalty that wasn't awarded and deserved to go for kicking out at Townsley to get another card.

It was left to the Jambos to win the penalty shoot-out.

They might have gone away with the Scottish Cup but Gretna were the real heroes.

Taken from the Sunday Mail