Falkirk 4 - 3 Hearts

Mark Stewart (2nd right) is congratulated by his team mates after firing Falkirk into the lead
Mark Stewart was the scourge of Hearts with two goals in Falkirk's win

Falkirk earned a dramatic win over 10-man Hearts as manager Jim Jefferies endured a wretched return to his former club in the Co-operative Insurance Cup.

Mark Stewart, on as an early substitute for Tam McManus, fired home the opener.

Hearts defender Craig Thomson was sent off for a kick at Carl Finnigan before the latter doubled Falkirk's lead.

A Kevin Kyle penalty and headed goal bookended a Suso strike as Hearts came back to lead, but Ryan Flynn and a late Stewart goal sealed the home win.

First Division Falkirk suffered a blow in the opening minutes at the Falkirk Stadium when McManus was withdrawn with a knee injury.

And Hearts failed to cope with the pace and trickery of substitute Stewart, who fired the Bairns in front after 13 minutes from Jack Compton's clever pass.

Midfielder Ryan Stevenson latched on to a clever flick from Calum Elliot in the 22nd minute as Hearts looked to hit back, before sending a 25-yard drive over the bar.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men when Thomson and Finnigan tangled and referee Brian Winter, after consulting assistant Stuart MacAulay and fourth official Eddie Smith, sent the Hearts defender off.

Falkirk doubled their lead when Stewart raced on to a Kallum Higginbotham pass, pulled the ball back from the by-line and the unmarked Finnigan fired it home past Marian Kello.

Kyle pulled one back from the spot after Bairns skipper Burton O'Brien felled Suso in the penalty area.

And Suso netted the equaliser for the visitors when he drilled the ball home from Ryan Stevenson's corner.

Remarkably, Kyle headed Hearts in front from about 12 yards from Stevenson's cross in a dramatic turnaround for the Jambos.

The hosts, though, were not to be denied as Flynn fired a sensational equaliser for the Bairns to make it 3-3 as the game appeared destined for extra-time.

But Stewart capped a superb individual display with a dramatic late winner deep into injury time to send the First Division side through at the expense of their illustrious Scottish Premier League opponents.

Taken from the BBC