Hibernian 1 Hearts 5

The crowning glory of their biggest and closest rivals. Not any more.

For the Famous Five now belongs to Hearts.

Paulo Sergio had a team of Hampden heroes when he needed them most in a historic Scottish Cup win.

Hibs fans, players and management all left the national stadium cursing ref Craig Thomson.

Darren Barr and Rudi Skacel strikes put the Jambos on easy street, before Hibees skipper James McPake pulled a goal back just before the break.

Seconds into the second half though, the Jambos were awarded a dodgy penalty which saw full back Pa Kujabi sent off and Danny Grainger convert from the spot.

With Pat Fenlon’s side crushed, Ryan McGowan netted a fourth goal before Skacel added a humiliating fifth.

By time up fizzing Fenlon had been sent off for a gesture to Hearts fans as they sang his name.

In the end this was the same result as the 1996 final which saw Hearts hammered by Rangers — but that’s a scoreline now in the dim and distant past.

Ian Black was the main man for Hearts, the dominating figure in the Jambos side who grabbed this game by the scruff of the neck and refused to let go.

Rudi Skacel
ACE RUDI ... Skacel hammers in his first
KC Sports Pix
But the midfielder could so easily have been red-carded after just nine minutes.

Clattering into the back of Leigh Griffiths with a raised-arm challenge, the Hibees hitman was smashed in the jaw.

Ref Thomson had a major decision to make over the colour of the card to produce from his pocket.

But remarkably he opted to reach for neither.

It was a huge let-off for Black who bossed the rest of the half from the middle of the park.

Hibs allowed him far too much space with Jorge Claros miles off the pace and unable to get near Black. Hibs had hardly been out of their own half when Hearts took a deserved lead.

From a corner with 14 minutes gone McGowan had a shot from inside the box which was charged down by Matt Doherty.

All that did though, was take the pace off the ball with Barr pouncing ahead of Kujabi — who played all the Hearts players onside — to stab it home.

Three minutes later the toiling Kujabi was booked for a crude challenge on Suso.

It was all going horribly wrong for the Hibees even at this stage.

Grainger
THREESY DOES IT ... Grainger makes it 3-1
Reuters

After 110 years of waiting their team looked like they had failed to turn up.

Garry O’Connor had a half-hearted claim for a penalty in 21 minutes after a Griffiths cross was headed on by McPake. Then in 26 minutes Hearts grabbed their second.

Black played a smart ball into Skacel who turned and shot, his effort deflecting off McPake and looping into the back of the net.

There looked no way back for Hibs.

Hearts were by far the better team throughout the first half and in no mood to let their superiority slip.

But somehow Hibs got a goal back before the break to give their support a glimmer of hope.

O’Connor had wasted a chance on the half-hour when he blasted over when he should have at least hit the target.

But four minutes later Hibs made the most of another rare opportunity in front of keeper Jamie MacDonald’s goal. Lewis Stevenson was the architect with a clever ball out to the right for Tom Saores to deliver into the box.

Ryan McGowan
RYAN HIGH ... McGowan nets
David Henderson

Soares’ cross was almost impossible to defend with McPake poking it over the line from point-blank range.

At 2-1 it was all to play for — Hibs back in the game for the start of the second half.

But within seconds of the restart their comeback dream was dead, in controversial circumstances.

Suso cut in from the right to dart past Kujabi who grabbed a hold of his jersey to haul him back.

The original foul was outside the box.

But Suso stumbled on a few yards, clipped his own heels and fell inside it.

Ref Thomson had another major call to make and seemed to look at his linesman Alasdair Ross for some help.

After what seemed an eternity he pointed to the spot and flashed a second yellow card at Kujabi and then red.

The Gambian full back pleaded his innocence and had a case.

But as he trudged off the pitch, Grainger smashed his penalty into the net to give the Jambos a 3-1 lead.

With ten men there was simply no way back for the Hibees.

Rudi Skacel
RUDI ROUT ... Skacel completes victory
David Henderson

Even with 11 on the pitch they were no match for their rampant rivals.

Some Leith fans started to head for the exits, unable to sit through the pain. But it was to get even worse. In 49 minutes Skacel had a shot from a quick- thinking Grainger corner with Stephen Elliott flicking it on with a header.

From a yard out McGowan couldn’t miss and he launched himself at the ball to force it home.

It was now more than any Gorgie diehard could have wished for in their wildest dreams.

Hearts’ fifth goal came in 74 minutes with Hibs virtually on their knees begging to hear the sound of the final whistle.

Skacel worked a yard of space for himself 20 yards out and unleashed a shot which beat Hibs keeper Mark Brown — who had a torrid day — and found the corner of the net.

By now the vast majority of Hibees were on their way home, as the jubilant Jambos fans sang themselves hoarse.