HEARTS ended 35 years of under-achievement when they lifted the Scottish Cup to spark a night of wild celebrations in the country's capital city Edinburgh it has been an awful long time coming after all. For Rangers, though, the nightmare prospect of ending a season without a trophy for the first time since 1986 finally became reality. Despite Walter Smith's Glasgow men outplaying and outfighting their opponents from virtually first to last - they had an incredible 26 shots to Hearts' ten over the 90 minutes - they were unable to give their departing manager the finale he wanted. And it could have been so different had two penalty decisions one at the start and the other at the death - gone the other way. As it was Rangers were left feeling a gross sense of injustice. The Edinburgh side, whose last domestic success came way back in the 1962 when they won the League Cup, must have thought it was going to be their afternoon when awarded a penalty after just 32 seconds. The fact that the decision looked marginal on the television replays with Stevie Fulton clearly a yard outside the box when first challenged by Sergio Porrini did not help Rangers' mood. Colin Cameron was unconcerned, however amid all the protesting, ignoring the furore around him to smash the ball beyond keeper Andy Goram in one of the quickest goals in Cup final memory. If Rangers were angered by the penalty, they were hopping mad 86 minutes later. Substitute Ally McCoist, who had just given his side a glimmer of hope by pulling a goal back to make the score 1-2, appeared to be held by Hearts central defender David Weir inside the area. Once again, the referee thought otherwise, risking a public lynching by opting for a free kick on the edge of the box to the astonishment of the ranting Rangers players and supporters. Brian Laudrup's effort amounted to nothing, cannoning off the wall and with that went Rangers' last chance to salvage the game. To be honest though, Rangers only had themselves to blame having squandered one opening after another while pummeling Hearts something senseless throughout. Yet having survived the waves of Blue attacks to go into the interval ahead, Hearts then struck a killer blow straight after the break before Smith's side had really got going again. Defender Lorenzo Amoruso was caught in two minds on the edge of the area and French striker Stephane Adam nipped the ball off his toes, then rifled in from an acute angle the ball bouncing off Goram's arm and over the line. McCoist then brought Smith's men back in contention with just 10 minutes left, but it was way too little and way too late. The faces of the two managers afterwards could not have been more contrasting. Jim Jefferies, a former Hearts captain, danced on the touch-line in the knowledge he had finally delivered that elusive piece of silverware. Smith, so successful for so long, now knows how Jeffries and all his Hearts predecessors must have felt while waiting for him to slip up!

HEARTS PLAN TO CELEBRATE ALL WEEK LONG!   HEARTS manager Jim Jefferies was understandably ecstatic after the Tynecastle club secured their first Scottish Cup since 1956, clinging on for a 2-1 win over Rangers at Celtic Park. Jefferies, who earlier this week was named Bell's Scottish Manager of the Year, said: " I don't think I've had to endure a final eleven minutes like that before. Once we scored the second goal we had a chance to kill them off, but we didn't take it. This is the greatest day of our lives. I never counted Rangers out of it when we went 2-0 up, because that's a funny lead and if you lose a goal you can start to panic a bit. But it's so fantastic to have given the fans something they've waited all this time for. It takes a little pressure off us now that we've got a trophy. The match got off to a controversial start when Hearts skipper Steve Fulton won a hotly disputed penalty in the opening minute. But he wasn't arguing with the referee's decision. "There was definitely contact made when I went down for the penalty. I wasn't sure if I was inside or outside the box, but the referee gave it. French star Stephane Adam grabbed Hearts vital second goal and despite not having had to endure the Edinburgh fans' prolonged suffering, could still appreciate what victory meant. "To win a Cup like this in Scotland is much better than in France - just look at the fans. We won't just be celebrating tonight, but for the rest of the week." HEARTS: Rousset, McPherson, Naysmith, Weir, Salvatori, Ritchie, McCann, Fulton, Adam (Hamilton 78), Cameron, Flogel Subs Not Used: Murray, Robertson Booked: Hamilton RANGERS: Goram, Porrini, Stensaas (McCoist 45), Gough, Amoruso, Bjorklund, Gattuso, Ferguson, Durie, McCall (Durrant 68), Laudrup Subs Not Used: Moore Booked: Amoruso Att: 48,946 Ref: W Young (Clarkston)

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