Jambos dish out Scottish Cup final thrashing to rivals

Malcolm Brown

Rudi Skacel savoured a memorable goodbye to Hearts with two goals in the Scottish Cup victory over Hibernian.

Skacel's first spell at Tynecastle ended with a 2006 Scottish Cup winner's medal and victory over Gretna.

Six years on he is set to depart Hearts for a second time with another triumph in the competition - this time after victory in the first all-Edinburgh final since 1896.

HIBERNIAN: Brown, Doherty, McPake, Hanlon, Kujabi, Soares (Francomb 76), Osbourne, Claros (Sproule 42), Stevenson, O'Connor (Doyle 54), Griffiths. Subs not used: Grant, O'Hanlon, Doyle, Sproule, Francomb.

Goals: McPake 41

Booked: Doherty

Sent off: Kujabi

HEARTS: MacDonald, McGowan, Webster, Zaliukas, Grainger, Black (Robinson 86), Barr, Santana (Beattie 76), Skacel, Driver (Taouil 84), Elliott. Subs not used: Ridgers, Prychynenko.

Goals: Barr 15, Skacel 27, 75, Grainger 48 (pen), McGowan 50,

Referee: Craig Thomson.

The 32-year-old Czech Republic forward said: 'it was great. We have the trophy, we won the big derby and we showed everybody there's only one team in Edinburgh. Fantastic. We were favourites.

'I think we deserved this win because we are a much better team and we showed that to everybody.'

Skacel returned to Tynecastle in September 2011 and signed a shortterm contract which was renewed in January.

Now, with Hearts tightening their finances, fans' favourite Skacel is set to move on.

'It's the best way to say goodbye - with the cup in my hands. it's 99 per cent that it's my last game for Hearts,' added Skacel, who was the club's top scorer this season with 18 goals.

'Never say never, but it probably was the last game for me. I want now to switch off for a couple of weeks and then decide what will be the best for me.'

Hibernian's long wait to lift the Scottish Cup meanwhile continues.

The Easter Road side travelled to Glasgow looking to end a 110-year drought in the competition but ended with 10 men, their manager Pat Fenlon in the stand, and their dignity in shreds.

Darren Barr's first goal for Hearts and a strike from Skacel put Paulo Sergio's side into a comfortable lead against a ragged-looking Hibernian.

Hibernian skipper James McPake struck just before the interval to give his side a lifeline which, to say the least, they failed to grab.

Left-back Danny Grainger scored his first Hearts goal from the spot a minute into the second half after Hibs defender Pa Kujabi was sent off by referee Craig Thomson for a foul on Suso Santana inside the box, his second bookable offence.

Hearts right-back Ryan McGowan headed in goal number four just three minutes later to make the rest of the second half a formality, with Skacel grabbing his second from the edge of the box to complete a miserable day for the Leithers, who had boss Fenlon sent off seconds from the end after the Irishman reacted to taunting from the Hearts fans.

It certainly was a remarkable afternoon.

The Jambos had not lost to Hibs in three years and one theory was that an early goal would see them continue that run.

It was a notion that was to be put to the test - and ultimately proved correct - when the Tynecastle side took the lead, although the goal came from an unlikely source.

The Hibernian defence failed to clear Grainger's corner from the left, and as the ball bobbed around the box, McGowan's blocked drive fell kindly to former Falkirk player Barr who stabbed it past goalkeeper Mark Brown from close range.

Barr ran away in celebration, his face revealing as much disbelief as joy and, even at that point, it looked a long way back for Hibernian.

In the 27th minute, after McPake had headed a Leigh Griffiths free-kick wide of the far post, the length of that journey increased when Skacel doubled Hearts' lead, with the Hibernian defence again culpable.

When midfielder Ian Black passed to the Czech midfielder at the edge of the Hibs box, he was given too much time and space to turn and send his shot, helped by a deflection, past the flailing Brown.

Hearts were in almost total control while Hibernian's ineptness was summed up in the 31st minute when Kujabi's cross from the left found the unmarked Garry O'Connor, who flashed his shot from 16 yards high over the bar.

It was McPake who dragged the Easter Road side back into the game, albeit fleetingly, not long after he had cleared a goal-bound shot from Hearts wide-man Suso Santana off the line.

A third goal for the Gorgie men would have surely ended the game before the interval but, four minutes from the break, on-loan Coventry stopper McPake was on the end of an Isaiah Osbourne cross to slide the ball past Jamie MacDonald from a couple of yards out.

With the green and white hordes still celebrating, Ivan Sproule replaced Jorge Claros, but two goals in four minutes after the break had the maroon and white ribbons on the cup.

Barely a minute had gone when referee Thomson pointed to the spot after Kujabi had grabbed Santana at the edge of the box, before sending off the Hibs defender having booked him in the first half for a foul on the same player.

Grainger slammed in the spot-kick and three minutes later McGowan made it 4-1.

Grainger's corner from the left found Skacel whose mis-hit shot was helped on by Elliott and parried up in the air by Brown, giving McGowan an unmissable chance almost on the line.

For Hibs, that was their cup dream over for another year.

Those fans who remained had to endure watching Skacel fire in his second from the edge of the box with 15 minutes remaining, after taking a pass from Santana.

The Hearts supporters chanted 'We want six', but their heroes had done more than enough to ensure a night of celebration in Gorgie and a wake in Leith.

In the final minute referee Thomson sent Fenlon to the stand, for a gesture to the jubilant Hearts fans, to put the lid on a miserable day for Hibs.

Hibs striker Leigh Griffiths hit out at referee Craig Thomson after the crushing defeat.

He felt the key moment was the penalty award against Kujabi that allowed Grainger to score for 3-1.Kujabi had earlier been booked for a reckless challenge on Santana and was shown a second yellow card, but Griffiths felt there was no consistency from Thomson after Hearts midfielder Ian Black got away without a booking for leading with his arm in a late aerial challenge.

Griffiths said: 'We go in at halftime and say the next goal is crucial and then we come out and the referee gives a stupid penalty.

'We have been told it was nowhere near the box. So that kind of spoils the game and we are down to 10 men. it's backs against the wall and then we lose a goal three minutes later which effectively kills the game off.'