Maroon memories: Cowie's goal is a winter warmer

A rousing second-half performance earned Hearts a place in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup after a competitive tie against Partick Thistle had been played in the severest of winter weather at Tynecastle last night.

Goals from George Cowie and Jimmy Bone decided a match in which First Division Partick gave a reasonable account of themselves before the interval. However, the concentration of Peter Cormack's side wavered in the second half and Hearts took full advantage.

The key contributors for the Edinburgh side were Craig Levein, who had a fine match on the right side of midfield, debutant Gregor Stevens, who operated most efficiently at centre half, and veteran forward Jimmy Bone who was the smartest attacker in the second period.

Certainly Thistle had a pacey winger in John Buckley and enough spirit going for them early on to have made the tie a closer fought affair than it eventually proved to be.

Hearts subdued their lively opponents and ended up winning comfortably on the snow-covered surface.

The match began in driving sleet with conditions soft and slippy.

Captained for the night by the former Hearts player John Brough, Thistle were the busier, more tenacious outfit in the first half. They had the game's most sprightly forward in Buckley. He troubled Hearts on both flanks and was involved in most of Thistle's dangerous moves.

Troubled by suspensions - Park, Bowman, Alec MacDonald and Roddy MacDonald were all out - Hearts fielded Bone in midfield and paired O'Connor in attack with Robertson.

Gregor Stevens, the Rangers player on loan to Hearts, made his debut, and looked tidy in the first half though Sandy Jardine found the conditions particularly difficult.

Hearts made the running early on and had the best early chance. In the eighth minute McLaren gathered the ball, turned and fed Bone, who was on his own inside the area. With time to do better, Bone hurried the shot and the ball slipped wide of the target from 16 yards.

Mackay, on the few occasions when he saw the ball, was Hearts' most creative player. He contrived openings for Robertson on a couple of occasions, but the young striker found turning difficult on a surface which was lightly covered by snow.

The longer the half went on the more Patrick began to get a grip in midfield and they came close on more than one occasion. A miscue by Cowie almost gave away an own goal, a Herd shot brought out a fine save by Smith, and, in the game's most incisive move of the first half, a Doyle pass and Buckley cross gave Iain Jardine the opportunity to blast a shot past.

Gary Mackay, of Hearts, was booked for a foul on Doyle just before half-time. It was the first yellow card in a tie that was always fiercely contested.

Conditions deteriorated considerably after the interval. Heavy snow began to lie on the pitch as well as the terracings and it was becoming difficult to see the lines. With Bone pushed further forward into attack Hearts made the greater effort to win the game in the second period. They were livelier and more forceful than they had been in the first half.

A reasonable chance, made for McLaren in the 49th minute, went begging as he blasted high over the target. However Hearts' lead was delayed only a matter of minutes, Levein did tremendously well to reach a pass to the line. His cross was cleverly put over for Bone to knock the ball down. Left-tback George Cowie popped up in unexpected surroundings to prod the ball over the line from close range.

Hearts were in charge now and there were a couple of good efforts from Robertson before the Tynecastle side tied things up in the 67th minute.

A corner from Robertson on the right saw Mackay send in a shot which spun off a Thistle defender towards Bone. The veteran forward coolly took stock of the situation and slipped the ball past Brough from eight yards.

The attendance was 6,735.