Hearts survive scare against Brechin
Brechin City 1 - 4 Hearts
Hearts staged a comeback to comfortably see off Highland League side Brechin City, securing their place in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.
Brechin took an early lead thanks to a stunning 35-yard strike from Scott Bright, a first-half substitute making just his second appearance for the Angus club.
Neil Critchley’s Premiership side seemed to struggle with the challenging conditions, but a moment of magic brought them level before half-time. Yan Dhanda curled a superb effort past Lenny Wilson to equalise.
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Hearts went ahead early in the second half when Elton Kabangu delivered a dangerous cross into the Brechin box. Defender Kevin McHattie’s attempted clearance inadvertently sent the ball goalwards, with Kenneth Vargas close by, adding pressure.
Kabangu then opened his account for Hearts with a well-taken goal, converting James Wilson's precise pass. The home side’s captain, Euan Spark, had earlier picked up an injury after being booked for a foul, forcing him off. Bright, just 18 years old, replaced him and made an immediate impact by unleashing a powerful low drive that struck the post and beat Craig Gordon to give Brechin the lead.
However, Dhanda’s equally spectacular strike brought Hearts level, as he cut in from the left and curled the ball past the diving Wilson. Kabangu then turned provider and scorer in the second half, calmly finishing a loose ball in the box to put Hearts ahead.
The January loan signing wrapped up the victory with his second goal of the match, a composed finish into the bottom right corner following an unselfish assist from youngster James Wilson. A slight deflection helped seal the deal, as Hearts cruised through to the next round.
When the full-time whistle was blown, the home fans gave their team a fantastic reception come full-time as they headed over to applaud their support. A sold-out Glebe Park witnessed a fantastic cup-tie. The fans will be hoping that those players will be able to use this experience to get them over the line as they aim to win the Highland Football league.
