Hamilton Academical 0-2 Hearts: Stephen Humphrys & Cammy Devlin send visitors to Scottish Cup quarter-finals

Hearts progressed to their 5th Scottish Cup quarter-final successful six seasons aft seeing disconnected a spirited second-half showing from Championship bottom-side Hamilton Academical.

John Rankin's young broadside rallied aft the top-flight visitors wholly dominated the archetypal half, but the crippled was enactment beyond them erstwhile Cammy Devlin stabbed successful a 2nd connected 79 minutes.

Robbie Neilson's men volition observe their last-eight opponents successful Monday's quarter-final draw.

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In the pb up to the encounter, Rankin was keen to heap the unit connected Hearts contempt his broadside enjoying a caller upturn successful form.

That unit got handed consecutive backmost to his defence from the archetypal minute, however, arsenic the Premiership nine peppered the location backline during a archetypal fractional successful which Hearts had 79% of possession.

The distant broadside passed up a flurry of aboriginal opportunities, with Humphrys squandering 3 chances acold easier than his halfway-line effort against Dundee United past Saturday earlier converting from a choky space debased astatine Ryan Fulton's adjacent post.

For a squad who played 120 minutes successful a SPFL Trust Trophy semi-final triumph 3 days prior, Hamilton did good to respond successful the 2nd half, with Lewis Smith slicing wide earlier Lucas De Bolle rolled a close-range effort consecutive astatine Zander Clark.

But it was Hearts who scored the 2nd extremity of the necktie arsenic substitute Devlin prodded successful from conscionable yards retired to nonstop the large distant pursuing of 3,500 backmost on the M8 dreaming of cupful glory astatine Hampden successful June.

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With apical scorer Lawrence Shankland missing done suspension, Neilson challenged his forwards to measurement up to the sheet successful the captain's absence.

Humphrys achieved that somewhat by netting the archetypal goal, but the on-loan Wigan antheral was wasteful astatine times, portion Josh Ginnelly struggled to get into the game.

With Shankland available, the necktie whitethorn good person been retired of show by the half-time whistle.

The mode successful which Hearts concisely mislaid power of the contention whitethorn besides beryllium a origin for interest for Neilson, but the spot disconnected his squad was highlighted again arsenic his substitutes helped regain a grip of the tie.

Hamilton surely person bigger priorities astatine the infinitesimal arsenic they beryllium astatine the ft of the 2nd tier, but it is hard to ideate they volition decorativeness the play determination if they support this level of performance.

The decision brings an extremity to a six-game unbeaten tally successful each competitions, but Rankin indispensable instrumentality immense pridefulness successful what his youthful broadside produced aft the break.

More to follow.