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HEARTS .... 4 AUCHINLECK .... 0 GARY RALSTON AT TYNECASTLE
A JOURNEY of a thousand miles begins with a single step but a trip to Tynecastle proved a leap too far.
Auchinleck Talbot’s five-month grand tour of the Scottish Cup, which debuted in Caithness in September, finally concluded in the country’s capital.
It all started in Wick, down the road from John O’Groats, and Land’s End loomed on to the horizon as soon as Christophe Berra stooped to nod the opener for the Jambos after just 10 minutes in Gorgie.
Bot’s marvellous adventure spanned more miles than even old Chairman Mao contemplated for his Chinese army – 1500 give or take a kilometre or two – and it ran for six matches, none more memorable than their Beechwood Park triumph over Ayr United in the fourth round.
However, reality ultimately bit hard as the gulf in class, but never bravery or endeavour, was exposed by the Premiership side.
Hearts almost came a cropper here against the Ayrshire juniors in the fourth round six years ago but they scrambled a late goal from Gordon Smith before going all the way to lift the Cup that season under Paulo Sergio.
Hearts would not be caught short again, reflected in a team sheet in which that bullying, battering ram of a hitman Uche Ikpeazu dovetailed perfectly with the cunning street smarts of strike pal Steven MacLean.
The 1800 Ayrshire men and women following Bot in the Roseburn Stand were not exactly quoting Burns, but there was a poetry of sorts in the raucous backing they gave their favourites, even when the game had long since departed.
In truth, it was Ae Fond Kiss from as early as 10 minutes when Berra rose above everyone, even teammate Naismith, to power in his first goal of the season from an Olly Lee corner to settle any nerves.
The inclusion of Hearts in the quarter-final draw was all but confirmed after half an hour when Demetri Mitchell, a thorn in the side throughout down the left, cut inside and rifled a low, right foot shot into the corner of the net with the aid of a deflection.
Auchinleck were playing for pride only seven minutes from the interval when another Lee corner was driven across goal by Mitchell and MacLean supplied the finishing touch from close range.
Hearts were ruthless in their professionalism and on the couple of occasions they were caught sleeping in behind the visitors lacked grace under pressure to make this anything other than a straightforward romp.
Solo striker Graham Wilson, for instance, pulled the ball out of the sky in splendid isolation in the Jambos’ penalty box midway through the first half but panicked and snatched his effort, failing to see two team-mates running in support and better placed to score. Midfielder Jamie Glasgow also lobbed a shot the wrong side of the post five minutes from half-time when he should have found the target.
Really, these were brief flurries against the constant storm of Jambos’ attacks on the back of overwhelming possession.
Keeper Andrew Leishman was offered a trial at Tynecastle after his heroics in 2012 and he stood tall again, even if he was helpless for each of the goals he conceded.
He denied with a fine early on and also dived at full stretch to push away an effort from I k p e a z u b l o c k MacLean after 35 minutes, repeating the feat with a similar save from a Lee set-piece after 63 minutes.
The second half, like the first, was dominated by the hosts as Auchinleck dropped deep and fought and clawed to prevent the scoreline becoming a drubbing.
Berra had a goal disallowed for offside, MacLean struck the side net and a shot from Naismith whistled inches past, while Dwayne Hyslop knocked a netbound effort from Ikpeazu inches round the post.
However, Bot refused to be turned over and might even have snatched a consolation. Again, Glasgow lacked composure when he pulled a shot wide with only Colin Doyle to beat, while sub Keir Samson nodded wide at the back post when it looked easier to score.
Hearts were forced to play the last 15 minutes with only 10 men when Michael Smith landed awkwardly and injured his knee after all three subs had already been committed by Craig Levein.
However, Aidan Keena gave the scoreline the gloss it deserved four minutes from time when he jinked and weaved in the box before firing a ferocious shot high into the net from 12 yards.
Fittingly, given their exploits over the previous months, the closing stages belonged to the visitors and Stephen Wilson looked to have nodded in a consolation, only to have his joy cut short by the assistant’s flag. He milked the applause of his fans behind the goal anyway. Well beaten but never
disgraced.