Match Report - By Steven Mew

A spectacular piledriver from youngster Scott Bright lit up Glebe Park and had supporters dreaming of a major cup shock, but it was the Premiership side who fought back to progress to the 5th round of the Scottish Cup on Friday evening.

In front of a capacity crowd, City certainly made things difficult for Hearts, taking the lead midway through the first half however the fitness of the full timers told in the second half against a Brechin side that hadn’t played a game in 3 weeks.

Manager Patrick Cregg named a familiar looking side with two changes from the 5-1 win over Huntly from last time out. Brad McKay and Marc Scott returned to the side, with Scott Bright and Cillian Sheridan dropping to the bench.

The visitors created the first real chance of the game on 8 minutes when Kenneth Vargas glanced a header wide at the near post from a Yan Dhanda delivery.

Just a couple of minutes later City had a fantastic opportunity to open the scoring when Fraser MacLeod played a neat reverse pass for Marc Scott but he could only fire into the side netting.

City were forced into an early change just before the quarter hour mark when Euan Spark dislocated his shoulder whilst going in for a full-blooded challenge which resulted in a yellow for the City skipper.

He was replaced by SCOTT BRIGHT who would go on to make a real impact with the opening goal in spectacular fashion midway through the half. After some good play down the right hand side, a low cross into the box by Spencer Moreland was cleared only as far as Bright 30 yards out and he let fly with an outstanding strike which cannoned in off the post to send the Cemetery End into raptures behind the goal.

City had their tails up and they were making it incredibly difficult for their more-illustrious opponents, with the visiting supporters growing more restless as time went on.

However the Jambos found an equaliser five minutes before the break when YAN DHANDA engineered some space for himself on the edge of the box and he lashed a terrific strike into the corner despite Lenny Wilson getting a hand to it.

With the score level at the break, there was an air of anticipation that City could still pull off a cup shock however the Edinburgh side went up a couple of gears in the second half.

Hearts turned the game on its head seven minutes after the restart, when a left sided cross from Elton Kabangu was turned into his own net by the unfortunate KEVIN MCHATTIE.

On the hour mark the visitors put clear daylight between the sides with a third goal. A dinked cross from the right from Kenneth Vargas was palmed out by Lenny Wilson but only as far as ELTON KABANGU who fired into the net on the turn from close range.

On 73 minutes James Penrice made a fine run down the left hand side before cutting the ball back for Jorge Grant but Lenny Wilson spread himself out well to deny the Englishman.

With the home side evidently tiring, Hearts made it 4-1 with twelve minutes remaining. City lost possession cheaply in the midfield and substitute James Wilson played in ELTON KABANGU who fired beyond Lenny Wilson with the aid of a deflection.

That would prove to be the end of the scoring and City players can certainly hold their head high particularly after their first half performance where there was very little between the sides, before the Premiership side took control in the second period.

Attention now turns back to the Highland League this weekend as we make the journey up to Grantown to take on bottom side Strathspey Thistle at Seafield Park.