Dream is more real than ever for Rix

Hearts 3 - 0 Aberdeen

Pospisil 20, Elliot 34, Pressley 45 PEN

THE shock result from Ibrox had left the delicious prospect of a Hibs-Hearts Tennent's Scottish Cup final wafting in front of the capital's football fans prior to kick-off at Tynecastle, and it took only 45 minutes to complete the next step of the dream.

Zander Diamond's 45th-minute sending off in the lead up to Hearts' third goal confirmed Aberdeen's demise.

It wasn't that the visitors played badly, although losing Diamond was a self-inflicted injury. Rather, the difference in resources between the sides has now created a gap all too evident in what was likely to have been an easy win with or without the Aberdeen defender on the pitch for the second half.

Having bought a whole new side during the January transfer window, Hearts used four of them in the course of the game. More significantly, they played this tie without the suspended Paul Hartley and flu victims Rudi Skacel and Takis Fyssas, yet barely missed the injured stars.

The only worrying note of the second half for Hearts was a knee injury to Beslija, who was stretchered off with eight minutes to go. Graham Rix said it was too early to assess whether he would be fit for Tuesday night's Premierleague game against Dundee United.

In Hartley and Skacel's absence, Julien Brellier seized the midfield before a sprained back forced his substitution in the second half.

Just as pleasing for Rix, strikers Michal Pospisil and Calum Elliot scored the first goals before Steven Pressley, returning from a two-game suspension, converted the penalty that ended the tie just before half-time.

Aberdeen had come back from a two-goal interval deficit in the previous round against Dundee United, but there was never any prospect of a repeat with Hearts, hard on the heels of demolishing Hibs, returning to their earlyseason form. Jamie Smith's tireless chasing of lost causes summed up another fruitless afternoon for Aberdeen.

The Dons were furious about the penalty award, claiming Diamond had initially made contact with Elliot outside the box, but that seemed a moot point from the stands and the central defender would have been dismissed anyway as the Hearts striker was about to pull the trigger when one-to-one against keeper Jamie Langfield.

"The lads say he [Elliot] wasn't in the box, " said a disgruntled Jimmy Calderwood, who was also unhappy about referee Kenny Clark's failure to award his side a penalty in the 24th minute when Andy Webster appeared to wrestle Stevie Crawford in the box.

The two incidents led to Aberdeen skipper Russell Anderson and Langfield remonstrating with Clark as the sides left the field at halftime, while Calderwood made his own point by refusing to shake hands with stand-side linesman Jim Lyon at the end.

For all Aberdeen's sense of injustice, the fact is they failed to capitalise on a stroke of ill fortune that could easily have fatally undermined Hearts.

"Skacel and Fyssas both turned up for the game feeling a bit rough - it was a big decision for me, but I decided not to risk them, " revealed Rix.

"They had flu symptoms and I sent them home straight away."

Jose Goncalves replaced Fyssas at left back, with the club's record signing, Mirsad Beslija, given the chance to make the troublesome rightmidfield position his own.

With these players taking time to fit in, Aberdeen, encouraged by a noisy support, held their own in the opening 20 minutes but then fell behind. There was very little danger with Kevin McNaughton shadowing Elliot on the right, but the Aberdeen left back allowed his opponent to whip in a low cross which Pospisil converted.

Four minutes later Crawford was adamant he was denied a penalty. "He had his arms round my waist and I was prevented from getting to the ball, " said the striker. "It might sound like sour grapes, but when you're inside the sixyard box there's a good chance of scoring."

Aberdeen later claimed farside linesman Neil Brand had given two different versions of events, and there was further trouble for Calderwood's side in the 34th minute when they went two behind. The goal was reminiscent of the first scored by Hartley against Hibs the previous Saturday, but this time it was Deividas Cesnauskis who cut the ball back from the left and Elliot who scored.

The strike, predictably, took the wind from the sails of the visitors and their supporters, although Crawford, set up by Smith, sent in a fierce curling shot which only narrowly flew wide of Craig Gordon's left hand post. Cesnauskis went close at the other end, but the nail in Aberdeen's coffin arrived almost on half-time when Diamond took Elliot's legs from behind as he seemed set to beat Langfield.

There was no question about the red card, but Aberdeen disputed the penalty. When Clark restored order it was left to Pressley to step forward and give his side an unassailable lead.

The 10-man Dons, with John Stewart on at half time for Richard Foster, battled on in the second period, but by then their Scottish Cup hopes were well and truly buried.

FAST FOOTBALL

Fair result? Aberdeen just about held their own until Hearts went ahead, but after that the home side were in the ascendancy.

Entertainment value: The first 45 minutes were rousing, but there was an inevitable drop-off in the cup-tie element after Hearts had scored their third goal.

Talking point: Aberdeen were furious when Andy Webster appeared to wrestle Stevie Crawford in the box with no award.

Also, was Calum Elliot outside the box at the Hearts spot kick?

Man of the match: With both Paul Hartley and Rudi Skacel unavailable, Julien Brellier took on extra responsibilities and ran the midfield before retiring with a back sprain.

Graham Rix: "I would have settled for that before the game. To be fair to Aberdeen, I thought they started brightly, but it was more or less over by half time."

Jimmy Calderwood: "Stevie Crawford is an honest lad and we all thought it was a stonewall penalty. If the referee gives it and they have a man sent off it's a different story. It was a crucial moment in the game."

Hearts:

Gordon Neilson Pressley Webster Concalves Beslija Brellier Johnson Cesnauskis Elliot Pospisil

Subs: Makela for Elliot 51, McAllister for Brellier 59, Wallace for Beslija 82.

Not used: Banks, Berra.

Booked: Concalves 64.

Aberdeen:

Langfield Clark Diamond Anderson McNaughton Nicholson Griffin Severin Foster Crawford Smith

Subs: Stewart for Foster 46, McAuley for Griffin 52, Snojl for Smith 90.

Not used: Esson, Mackie.

Sent off: Diamond 45.

Referee: K Clark.

Attendance: 17,353.

Copyright 2006 SMG Sunday Newspapers Ltd.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.