Brechin City boss Patrick Cregg was proud of his players after they gave Hearts a scare before exiting the Scottish Cup.
The Breedon Highland League table toppers took a stunning first half lead through Scott Bright in this fourth round tie at Glebe Park.
But towards the end of the first half the Jambos took a grip of proceedings which they didn’t relinquish.
Yan Dhanda restored parity for the Premiership side with Kevin McHattie’s own goal and a brace from Elton Kabangu securing a 4-1 win and their place in the last 16.
Brechin manager Cregg said: “In the first half I felt we shaded it and it would have been a fair reflection if we had gone in 1-0 up at half-time.
“We had belief at half-time that we could win, but as the game went on Hearts took over and they were the better team.
“I’m extremely proud of the players in terms of the effort they put in.
“The effort and willingness to work hard, the pre-requisites you need at any level, we have in abundance.”
Bright start
In front of a sell-out crowd of 3,500 and a live TV audience watching on BBC Scotland, Brechin went close in the 12th minute with Marc Scott shooting into the side-netting from the right side of the box following good play from Fraser MacLeod.
The home side were dealt a blow after quarter of an hour when captain Euan Spark was forced off after injuring his right shoulder in a full-blooded sliding challenge with Kabangu.
Cregg added: “I’m led to believe he’s dislocated his shoulder, I thought he was outstanding before coming off.”
Bright was Spark’s replacement and midway through the first period the left-back put Brechin in dreamland as he rifled home a sensational opener.
Spencer Moreland’s cross from the right was cleared as far as the St Johnstone loanee 25 yards out and Bright’s tremendous left-footed strike fizzed into the net off the right post and left Craig Gordon with no chance.
Cregg said: “The goal was unbelievable. Scott has aspirations to go on and achieve in the game and it’s up to him in terms of his mentality and the drive to get in St Johnstone’s first team.”
Jambos respond
Hearts struggled to create chances in the first half, but equalised five minutes before half-time when former Ross County midfielder Dhanda’s excellent shot from the edge of the box found the top right corner.
In the 52nd minute the Jambos went ahead. Kabangu’s cross from the left appeared to be running through to goalkeeper Lenny Wilson, but McHattie slid in and diverted the ball past Wilson towards his own goal and, although Kenneth Vargas touched the ball on its way in, it was adjudged to have already crossed the line and went down officially as an own goal.
Ten minutes later Kabangu netted Hearts’ third scoring from close range after Wilson had clawed away a Vargas delivery from the right.
Brechin sub Craig Tosh flashed an effort narrowly over before the scoring was completed in the 79th minute when Bright’s loose pass allowed sub James Wilson to feed Kabangu, whose low shot was deflected beyond Wilson.
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