Hearts's demolition of Hibernian in Scottish Cup final devoid of fire
• Hampden final
highlighted weakness of game in Scotland
• Hearts manager called halt to
humiliation after fifth goal
Hibernian 1 Hearts 5
Scottish Cup
Hibernian
James McPake 41
Hearts
Darren Barr 15, Rudi Skacel 27, Danny Grainger 48 Pen, Ryan McGowan 50, Rudi Skacel 75
This show of strength by Hearts doubled as an unwelcome illustration of the weakness in football north of the border. The combination of derby and major final ought to have
guaranteed intensity but, for neutrals at least, it had a melancholy tone as Hearts took the Scottish Cup with a 5-1 win over Hibernian that was somehow humdrum.
To the limited relief of the losers, Hearts were not set on a historic
humiliation. Paulo Sérgio's men called a halt after scoring the fifth goal as early as the 50th minute. The most resounding victory in a Scottish Cup final therefore remains the 6‑1 defeat by Celtic of a rightly admired Hibs side in 1972.
There will be only scorn for the current generation,
particularly since the losing manager Pat Fenlon was sent to the stands by the referee Craig Thomson near the end after he seemed to gesture at the Hearts supporters. He denied that intention but the episode epitomised the misery of Hibs. They have lost all four derbies this season, with an aggregate score of 12-2.
