Bairns through after controversial cup cracker

There were two changes to the team that lost to Hamilton. Janos Balogh coming in for Jamie MacDonald and Gary Glen replacing Christian Nade. There was also a big tactical switch with Christos Karipidis moving to centre-half, Bruno Aguiar into midfield and Eggert Jonsson playing his fifth position of the season - up front alongside Gary Glen.

Hearts had their first opportunity to break the deadlock just minutes into the game - Driver's magnificent backheel releasing Wallace down the left channel. There were several options in the middle but Lee elected to shoot from a tight angle, drawing a decent parry from Mallo. The opening few minutes were all Hearts, pawing away at the Falkirk defence, with only stubborn resistance keeping the scores level.

It didn't take long for the home crowd to lose patience with referee Mr McDonald after some early decisions went against Hearts. Particularly, the choice to book Andy Driver for one foul and then sare Neil McCann for an identical offence caused some consternation.

In the 22nd minute Hearts should have taken the lead, when superb flank play from Wallace enabled him to cross, Driver picked up the loose ball, danced to the by-line and cut it back for Gary Glen, who side-footed agonisingly wide of goal. Although there had not been an awful lot of pressure applied to Balogh's goal in the opening half hour, the Hungarian keeper had to be quick off his line to intercept a through ball and block Steve Lovell.

Janos was less assured in the 37th minute, misjudging a cross into his box and allowing Higdon to beat him with a header. Mercifully it was slightly off target - had it met its mark, there would have been nothing anybody could have done.

Gary Glen had a great chance in the 41st minute, watching Aguiar find Neilson with a cleverly disguised pass and then firing Neilson's smart pass at the top corner. Mallo's outstretched hand was all that denied the opening goal. As we entered injury time it was with a slight sense of foreboding - surely Hearts couldn't be this dominant in the second period too?

Well, certainly Hearts were in the first five minutes of it. All the play was centred in the Falkirk third, without any goalbound pressure to show for it. There was a whisper amongst the fourth estate that John Hughes had opted for a 3-5-2 formation ostensibly to include former Hearts captain Steven Pressley in the starting eleven, however it meant that the home side was making hay and causing all sorts of problems down both flanks.

Controversy reigned in the 59th minute when Carl Finnigan, on as a substitute just moments earlier, gave the Bairns the lead. The high ball in found two Falkirk players with the Hearts defence static. Finnegan ghosted in to tap the ball, that had rebounded off the bar from Lovell's header, over the line. Hearts were furious and Yogi Hughes had a wry smile on his face.

Then the game exploded. Higdon found himself clear through and finished neatly past Balogh, only to be pulled up for offside.

Mere moments after, Hearts were awarded a penalty when Driver was felled in the box by Dean Holden. Holden must have been mightily relieved when Mr McDonald, who had awarded the spot kick, changed his mind after consulting his linesman. If that sounds familiar, it is because only a few weeks ago against Aberdeen, from an identical position, the same thing happened. The boos reverberating around Tynecastle told their own story. That Hearts had a good chance from the corner seems almost irrelevant.

Neil McCann added to the surreal atmosphere gripping the stadium when he conjured up a bizarre passback that crashed off Mallo's crossbar. From the resulting corner, we should have equalised, Karipidis chesting the ball down in front of an almost empty goal, but firing against the diving shapes on the line.

Less than ten minutes to go and the dream was dying. Zaliukas was then sent off by Mr McDonald for holding back Higdon on what could have been a goalscoring opportunity, on the edge of the box. At the other end, Kari headed across goal and Larry Kingston's overhead kick was just past the post. A truly frustrating game was ebbing to a close, and there seemed little Hearts could do about anything.

Arfield was sent off for a cynical lunge on Obua, who was threatening to get away from him. By now it looked too late, Hearts could have done with that earlier in all honesty. Pressley was then booked for what looked a professional foul on Stewart as he was racing through on goal.

Despite all this, we send our congratulations to Falkirk and wish them all the best in the next round.

Hearts: Balogh; Neilson, Zaliukas, Karipidis, Wallace; Obua, Stewart, Aguiar, Driver; Glen (Elliot, 65), Jonsson (Kingston, 60). Booked: Driver, Stewart. Sent off: Zaliukas. Subs not used: Kello, Mrowiec, Thomson.

Falkirk: Malo; McNamara (Cregg, 86), Bullen, Barr, Pressley, Holden; Arfield, McCann (O'Brien, 86), Riera (Finnegan, 55), Lovell, Higdon. Booked: Arfield, Riera, Finnegan, McCann, Pressley, Higdon. Subs not used: Olejnik, Stewart.

Referee: Dougie MacDonald

Top man: Lee Wallace

Hearts World