Hearts take next Scottish Cup step in front of record away crowd at Hamilton

Having featured in three of the last four Scottish Cup finals, for Hearts this 2-0 victory over Hamilton was simply a stepping stone in their bid to return to the national stadium and go one better than in recent years.

But a rejuvenated Accies, still sitting bottom of the Championship although buoyed by a place in the final of the Challenge Cup and a six-game unbeaten run, were never going to simply step aside. It took the visitors, who sit third in the top flight, until the 28th minute to make the respective league positions count for something, they never looked back.

Hearts were without captain and top goalscorer Lawrence Shankland following his late red in the fourth-round derby victory over Hibs. He was replaced in the starting line-up by Stephen Humphrys, who had captured his gaffer’s attention with last weekend’s audacious lob and it was the on-loan Wigan striker who broke the deadlock.

By the time he found the net, he had already sent a close range volley up over the bar after he found himself in space at the back post. He had also tested Hamilton goalkeeper Ryan Fulton as he leapt to head a Stephen Kingsley delivery goalward. The keeper dealt with that one but just a minute later he was clinical as he scorched an angled strike into the net, beating the home goalie at the near post.

Hearts forward Stephen Humphrys opens the scoring with this strike against Hamilton Accies at the ZLX Stadium.

It was the breakthrough Robbie Neilson’s men had been grafting for but they were aware that job was not done and after Humphrys skied another effort over the perimeter fence and Kingsley and Ginnelly failed to do better with their first-half efforts, the hosts emerged for the second half in a more gung-ho mood.

Earlier digs from Jean-Pierre Tiehi and Scott Martin had been against the run of play but in the opening period of the second half, Hamilton turned the tide, applying more and more pressure, with Lucas de Bolle gifted a decent opening.

They had shown their capacity to overcome higher league opposition as they saw off Ross County on penalties in the previous round, while SPFL Trust Trophy progress had bolstered their belief further as they looked to progress in another knockout competition, with manager John Rankin pitting his wits against his former coaching colleagues.

Rankin joined Hamilton in summer, swapping his youth coaching role with the Tynecastle club for the pressure and managerial uncertainty of life at Hamilton. But on a Friday night, under the floodlights Hearts were aware of the potential banana skin, though.

In only the clubs’ fourth ever Scottish Cup meeting, Hamilton welcomed a record away crowd of over 3700 Hearts fans who roared their support from three sides of New Douglas Park and while not a vintage performance it was a case of simply getting the job done.

Sending on Cammy Devlin, to replace Humphrys, the diminutive Aussie was tasked with matching the opposition’s energy and proving nuisance enough to break up their forward forays. Yutaro Oda was also asked to occupy minds further upfield but while he managed that, he couldn’t find the target.

With 11 minutes remaining, Devlin did, though. Alan Forrest played the pass into the middle and although the first attempt ricocheted off Dan O’Reilly, the Socceroo buried the follow up to ensure it will be Hearts’ name in Monday night’s quarter-final draw.