Hearts progress past the Pars
From Hearts News at Tynecastle Stadium

Having exited the League Cup to lower league opposition last season Hearts' players and fans with breathe a collective sigh of relief they avoided similar embarrassment in this hard fought 2-1 win over Dunfermline at Tynecastle, tonight.

The home side progress to the quarter final stage but they had to work for as Graham Bayne silenced Tynecastle when he gave the visitors an early lead. Gary Glen headed Hearts back into a game before Michael Stewart sealed the victory with a penalty twenty minutes from time.

Csaba Laszlo decided to persevere with 'The Ismael Bouzid Experiment' by using the naturally defensive player in attack as Gary Glen came in for Andrew Driver in the only line-up change from Sunday's defeat to Celtic. Fresh from converting Eggert Jonsson from a centre midfielder into a reliable full back maybe Laszlo fancied his chances of doing something similar with Bouzid. Or maybe he'd been reading up on the Hearts career of Kevin McKenna, who knows?

Whatever the thinking was behind the Hearts set-up it didn't appear to be working during the opening 15 minutes as Hearts struggled to break Dunfermline down and the prospect of another shock cup exit was very much on the cards as the away side opened the scoring.

Unfortunately Hearts couldn't match their opponents resilient defending as they allowed too much space to Graham Bayne on the right side of the box. The former Caley striker's low shot was only partially saved by Balogh and the ball trickled over the goal-line.

The goal could be described as a sucker-punch and that's certainly how it seemed to impact the Hearts players as the team played as if reeling on their feet for the next 15 minutes. Fortunately for the home side things had tightened up at the back and Dunfermline failed to extend their advantage.

On 35 minutes Hearts thought they had struck level as Marius Zaliukas headed home from a Craig Thomson free-kick but the goal was disallowed for offside. It was the second decision the home players contested in the space of five minutes as Jose Goncalves had earlier looked to have been hauled down in the box. With little luck on their side, neither decision went the way of the home team.

Lady luck was certainly smiling on the Pars as the half came to a close. David Obua saw a header cleared off the line before collecting the rebound and seeing his shot saved by keeper Greg Fleming. Two minutes later Gary Glen couldn't quite get over the ball and from 12 yards he could only volley his effort over the crossbar.

One-nil down at half time, the prospect of a second consecutive League Cup exit to First Division opposition was more than just a possibility. Hoping to stave off embarrassment the players returned to the game with a renewed sense of hunger and desire to reach the last eight of this competition. Thirteen minutes into the half they had their equaliser.

David Obua could consider himself a tad unfortunate as a loss of footing stopped the lanky midfielder from getting on the end of a cross from the right. Without hesitation the Ugandan picked himself up, retrieved the loose ball and knocked it back into the six yard area for an unmarked Gary Glen to nod home.

Having been denied three strong penalty claims in the match Hearts probably felt they were due a soft one when David Obua went down under a challenge from Neil McGregor. Dunfermline were furious with the decision and with what they perceived as a dive by the Hearts player. To be fair to Obua he was running into the box at full pace and any contact would likely result in the player being forced to ground.

Michael Stewart stepped up, sent the keeper the wrong way and settled nerves throughout Tynecastle. The home side held strong for the final twenty minutes to put their name into the hat for the quarter final draw.

Hearts: Balogh; C Thomson, Zaliukas, Goncalves, Wallace (Black 45); Stewart, Palazuelos; Suso, Glen (Smith 73), Obua, Bouzid. Subs not used: MacDonald, Kucharski, J Thomson, Smith.

Dunfermline: Fleming; Woods (Cardle 58), McGregor, Dowie, Muirhead, Wilson, Holmes, Ross (McCann 84) Burke, Phinn; Bayne. Subs not used: Kirk, Cardle, McCann, Higgins, Paterson. Booked: Dowie, Ross

Referee: Brian Winter

Top man: David Obua

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