Cup runs fuel Jim Jefferies' bid to take Hearts back to final

But, while he has fond memories of the competition, Jefferies believes it is about time Hearts made an impact on it again. What is more, he knows from experience that success in this event can have a positive knock-on effect.

"Clubs like this should be up there challenging at the business end of competitions like this," said Jefferies, who takes his team to Falkirk tonight for a third-round tie. "We're looking forward to it.

"The last time we were in the final it was a fantastic match. We gave Rangers a couple of goals of a start and came back great. When it got back to 2-2 there only looked like one winner - until Paul Gascoigne stepped in with 15 minutes of magic.

"It was a terrific game, and one that we used after playing in the Scottish Cup final against them and getting a wee bit turned over (Hearts lost that match 5-1 earlier in 1996]. We thought the next time we got them, if we showed the same improvement we had a good chance of winning, and we did," he explained, referring to the Edinburgh club's 2-1 win over Rangers in the 1998 Scottish Cup final. "Any cup you're in you want to go on and win it. The cups give you your best chance of silverware because it all depends on the night."

The second match of Jefferies' second spell in charge of Hearts was the Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final defeat by St Mirren back in February. This season, his team have already enjoyed a comfortable win over Elgin City, but the manager expects a more demanding evening against Steven Pressley's side.

"It's a difficult tie. We were very professional in the last round against Elgin, and we'll have to do the same again. Falkirk are a step up, and the pressure will probably be on Hearts."

Pressley has been the object of criticism from several fellow-managers for some of his comments since taking over at Falkirk, but Jefferies defended his former player's right to do things differently rather than conforming to a stereotypical notion of how a manager should act and talk. "Steven's different. He's got his own way of doing things, and he's single-minded.

"There's no manual on how to do this job. If it works for him, nobody should be critical of him. People have criticised him for some of the things he's said, but that's him."

The Falkirk manager from 1990 to 1995, Jefferies remembers how intimidating the club's old Brockville ground could be, and thinks their new stadium does not yet compare."The pitch at Westfield is lovely, but the new ground doesn't have the intimidating atmosphere you got at Brockville.

"There are maybe better facilities at the new place, but not a lot of people liked going to Brockville to play Falkirk. You didn't need a big crowd there to create an atmosphere, so I'm glad the game's not there."

Jefferies will not risk giving too many fringe players a run-out tonight, believing he will need something close to his first-choice team to win the tie and go through to the last eight. Midfielder Ian Black is a doubt after injuring an ankle in the weekend win at Inverness, and Rudi Skacel still seems likelier to make his second debut on Saturday, so the centre of the park is where the manager will have to think hardest about selection. The fact that teams can name only five substitutes in this competition will further restrict his options, and he will not start with an out-and-out attacking formation.

"The opposition last time allowed us to play (wingers] David Templeton and Arvydas Novikovas, but this is a different game," he said when asked how experimental a line-up he planned. "If you're asking me am I going to bring in younger players, the answer's no."

Striker Steven Elliot is now back in full training following injury, but will need another week or so before beign ready for first-team action. Andrew Driver joined in training with the squad for the first time yesterday following his long-term lay-off, and Jefferies anticipates he will be available around the middle of next month.