Hearts cruised through to the quarter-finals of the Tennent's Scottish Cup
with a convincing win over hapless Kilmarnock in their fourth-round replay at
Rugby Park.
The impressive visitors got off to a lightning start with a Lee Wallace goal
after just five minutes, his first for the club.
And when on-loan striker Lee Miller doubled the Jambos' lead in the 13th
minute with a bullet header, the tie was already all but over.
Twelve minutes after the break a debut goal by Lithuanian international
Deividas Cesnauskis allowed Hearts to cruise through the remainder of the game.
They set up a home tie against Livingston in the next round despite a
last-gasp Kris Boyd penalty for the home side.
Jim Jefferies' men simply never recovered from Hearts' whirlwind start to the
game as the Edinburgh side raced into a two-goal lead.
Their opener was a superb strike from defender Wallace.
The 17-year-old, who only made his debut in the first tie 10 days ago, burst
through from his own half and surged unhindered towards the Killie penalty
area.
After working a simple one-two with Dennis Wyness, the youngster confidently
slammed his shot from 12 yards high past home goalkeeper Alan Combe.
There was more woe for the rattled Ayrshire side in the 13th minute when the
rampant Jambos doubled their lead.
Midfielder Paul Hartley floated a free-kick into the Killie box which was
deflected by home defender Simon Ford on to the head of Miller.
He directed a header from 14 yards past the helpless Combe.
The stunned home side tried to battle back, but moments later, after a
hesitant Hartley had missed a good chance to make it 3-0, Boyd could only turn a
Steven Naismith cross past the near post.
With this being the sixth meeting between the sides so far this season, John
Robertson perhaps introduced Cesnauskis for his debut to freshen things up.
The Lithuanian's inclusion certainly paid dividends as the visitors were
over-running the beleaguered Ayrshire side.
Goalmouth incidents had all but dried up, although Killie midfielder Peter
Leven's low 30-yard drive just after the half-hour mark had Jambos goalkeeper
Craig Gordon moving smartly to make sure the ball was going wide of his
left-hand post.
And in the 35th minute, with the rain continuing to cascade down, Boyd latched
on to a fine cross by Killie defender Garry Hay, but his back-post header went
weakly behind for a goal kick.
Kilmarnock knew they had to come out for the second half and impose themselves
quickly on the game.
But the early moments brought only more frustration and jeers from the home
fans as the visitors again started the better.
The lively Cesnauskis drove a shot straight at Combe from inside the box and
then, seconds later, he cut the ball back from the byline and compatriot
Mikoliunas somehow missed the ball completely from only six yards out.
But the Lithuanians were in no mood to be denied and in the 57th minute the
visitors tied up the game with a debut goal from Cesnauskis.
He collected a short pass from Mikoliunas before slamming his shot from eight
yards high into the net.
Moments later the home side were denied what looked like a penalty when Jambos
midfielder Stephen Simmons appeared to handle a Danny Invincible header, but
referee John Rowbotham ignored the claims.
The Rugby Park men were playing for pride now but there was hardly any glimmer
of a consolation goal.
Hearts side remained firmly in control with Steven Pressley marshalling the
back-line superbly.
In added time, however, Wallace clumsily fouled Killie midfielder Allan
Johnston in the penalty area and Boyd slotted the penalty away for small
consolation with the last kick of the game.
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