City have that little bit extra in cup final

Tynecastle had struck a last-gasp equaliser on 86 minutes to force proceedings into an additional half-hour of play, but City notched a double at the death – just as the game was heading to penalties – to win 3-1.

In a game littered with niggle and yellow cards – including two that equalled a red card for Tynecastle's Paul Fergie – goals seemed hard to come by. But, City's Nicholas Locke, a scorer in the previous week's Michael Moran Cup triumph over Edinburgh South at the same venue, broke the deadlock with a sublime header on 70 minutes to open up the game.

Prior to Locke's moment of brilliance, opportunities in front of goal proved few and far between, with a mesmerising one-two in the first-half between Kayne Paterson and Locke one of the few causes for concern for either goalkeeper, resulting in Paterson shooting narrowly wide of Steven Hay's goal from the edge of the penalty area.

It was a bruising battle of two tough-tackling rivals, and Tynecastle striker Fergie lost his head amid the mayhem early in the second-half, committing to a needless tackle from behind in a situation that didn't warrant such impatience or rashness.

The Tynecastle No.10 got his marching orders and with him, some observers may have thought, went Tynecastle's hopes of victory.

Certainly, the early signs weren't good for the boys in maroon, who soon went one behind. At a cross from the right, Locke was in space at the near post when he went to meet the ball with a header, but, realising he had little chance of beating a well-positioned Hay at the right-hand corner, chose to loop the most intelligent of headers up and over the goalkeeper and into the opposite corner of the net.

Hay could not be blamed for the concession of such a technically excellent goal, and pulled off a great save to deny City five minutes later with a fine stop that drew applause from his City counterpart at the other end.

Craig Sinclair, cutting in from his customary left-wing position, unleashed a fierce strike towards the near corner, but Hay showed excellent reflexes to get down and palm the ball wide.

Ten minutes later, after significant pressure at the opposite end of the park, Tynecastle's hunger was sated in the most sensational fashion.

Kieran Watson's header from Craig Robertson's cross was deflected over the City goal for a Tynecastle corner, and from the resultant flag-kick Jamie Devlin met the ball with such ferocity that, even though it connected solidly with the right-hand post, it still flew into the net thereafter.

Their equalising goal, though, signalled the only time that Tynecastle could break down an otherwise watertight City back-line, well marshalled by the vociferous Michael Travis.

The one-man advantage was more telling as the game entered extra-time, especially after Tynecastle threw players forward and City were able to counter-attack. It was such a swift end-to-end transfer of the ball that proved Tynecastle's undoing, as the pacey City attack moved the ball quickly from their own penalty area to Locke on the right wing. His thrusting run took him into the opposing penalty area and, with Tynecastle defenders still backtracking, squared for the solitary Gavin Pettigrew to side-foot into the net from close range.

With nothing for it but to go for broke, Tynecastle provided a thrilling finale by pouring all their playing resources into the opposite end of the pitch.

The move backfired though as City gained possession and, with goalkeeper Hay now acting as a sweeper and stationed well off his line, Locke lobbed a long ball from 50 yards into the net to seal his side's win.

Tynecastle: Steven Hay, Kieran Watson, Stuart Duncanson, Bruce Cunningham, Andrew Jones, David Liddle, Paul Fergie, Jamie Devlin, Craig Robertson, Matthew Skene, Laurie Preston, Jamie Anderson, Dean Millar.

Edinburgh City: Lee Millar, Craig Tulloch, Liam Smith, Kayne Paterson, Brad McKay, Michael Travis, David McNeil, Nicholas Locke, Jordan Thomson, Gavin Pettigrew, Craig Sinclair, Ross Yeoman, Kenny O'Brien, Ryan Hutchison.