Second Division Stenhousemuir almost staged a famous Scottish Cup shock after
taking a two-goal lead over Premier side Hearts, who did not secure their place
in the next round until two minutes from time.
The home side were shocked when the Cup minnows took the lead in the eighth
minute.
Gary Wales played a short back-pass that allowed Stenny's 18-year-old striker
Ross Hamilton to nip in and round Gary Murray before flighting the ball over
Antti Niemi into the net.
Indeed the fright might have been even more severe three minutes later when
Gordan Petric's attempted headed clearance fell to Martin Mooney on the edge of
the box but the midfielder's volley rose just inches above the crossbar with the
keeper beaten.
Hearts fought back and Lindsay Hamilton denied Robert Tomaschek with a
brilliant one-handed save in the 14th minute and nine minutes after that Colin
Cameron prodded inches wide after Steve Fulton supplied.
The visitors were always dangerous on the break however and never looked out
of it. Indeed they had the cheek to further embarrass the Premier League outfit
by extending the lead in the 29th minute.
Jimmy Fisher popped in a ball from the left that bounced awkwardly for Gary
Murray, Mooney outjumped the defender to head over Niemi to silence the
Tynecastle crowd.
Had Stenhousemuir managed to go in 2-0 up at the break it might have been a
different story, but Hearts pulled one back eight minutes before half-time,
though in controversial circumstances.
Mooney gave the ball away to Darren Jackson who ran from the halfway line and
when the Scottish international attempted to flick the ball behind Fisher at the
edge of the box the Stenny midfielder was judged to have handled.
Cameron made no mistake with a right foot shot from the spot that sent keeper
Hamilton the wrong way.
Two minutes before the break the visiting keeper made an amazing point-blank
stop from Wales three yards out to keep his side ahead at the break and three
minutes after the restart Fisher sent in a 25-yarder that was dipping just under
the bar before Niemi tipped over at full stretch.
In the 61st minute the home side levelled. Gary Naysmith passed forward to
substitute Gary McSwegan, and the forward when past one challenge before rifling
an angled shot from 14 yards inside Hamilton's right-hand post.
When Wales smashed the upright from six yards out in the 84th minute it looked
likely that a replay was on the cards but two minutes from time the brave Second
Division outfit were heartbroken when McSwegan blasted home the winner with a
left-foot shot from 12 yards.
Teams
Hearts: Niemi, Pressley, Naysmith, Locke, Fulton, Cameron,
Jackson, Murray (McSwegan 45), Petric, Tomaschek (Juanjo 77),Wales.
Subs Not Used: Simpson.
Goals: Cameron 38 pen, McSwegan 61, 88.
Stenhousemuir: L. Hamilton, Lawrence, Banks (Lorimer 62),
Watson, Graham (Wood 89), Armstrong, R. Hamilton, McKinnon,
Mooney (Forrester 89), Fraser, Fisher.
Booked: Fraser.
Goals: R. Hamilton 8, Mooney 29.
Att: 11,752.
Ref: Bobby Orr (Scotland).
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