Brechin City 1-4 Hearts: Premiership side avoid close shave with the Hedge to seal spot in Scottish Cup last 16

Hearts had to show composure and resilience to ride out a Scottish Cup scare before class told and booked them a fifth-round berth.

Scott Bright, on loan from St Johnstone, served up an almighty fright six minutes after coming on as a first-half substitute with a wonder goal.

Never mind the famous Hedge at Brechin, this was Close to the Hedge stuff for Hearts.

The Tynecastle side, however, showed a great appetite for the battle on what could have proved a taxing night.

Yan Dhanda, crucially, calmed the nerves with an equaliser before half-time.

Brechin thereafter couldn’t match their earlier levels of intensity, nor find answers for superior threats coming at them from all angles.

They included Union Saint-Gilloise loan star Elton Kabangu on his first start. The Belgian striker had a big hand in the second, then opened his account for the club with a double as Hearts confidently pulled clear.

Paddy Cregg’s Highland League leaders, out of action since December 28, were true to his promise they would make the evening ‘uncomfortable’ for the visitors from the off.

The home crowd’s frenzy cranked up a notch when Fraser MacLeod rippled the side-netting on 12 minutes.

There was mayhem, then, when City took the lead. Craig Halkett warned colleagues about his harrowing experience at the hands of Highland League opposition four years ago. Then a Championship side, Hearts were knocked out by Brora Rangers.

The centre half must have suffered from awful flashbacks come the 23rd minute here. Jamie McCart failed to find a Hearts shirt when attempting to boot clear a low delivery from the right.

Bright punished Neil Critchley’s men with a quite stunning, first-time strike from 30 yards. A full-stretch Craig Gordon stood no chance and was beaten as the ball crashed in off his left-hand post.

Amazingly, Bright was only on the park because of an act of self-harm by Euan Spark. The home side’s skipper had started out smartly by making some key defensive blocks.

Midway inside the Hearts half, however, he went hurtling in with two feet off the ground on Kabangu. 

Had VAR been involved, he’d have left the field via a red card and Brechin would’ve been down to 10 men.

Instead, Grant Irvine booked him as he was substituted in agony clutching his shoulder — and on came 18-year-old Bright.

Brad McKay was relieved to see Lenny Wilson scoop up his deflection of a Kenneth Vargas shot as Hearts pressed for a leveller.

How desperate were the Premiership side? Adam Forrester betrayed some of that with penalty-box simulation that earned a caution. Dhanda refused to let Brechin make it to the break with an advantage. 

The home defence stood off the diminutive schemer just enough for him to spot a flight path to the net. From 20 yards, he curled a delightful finish past an unsighted Wilson and high into the far corner for his first domestic goal for the club.

MacLeod and Dhanda were booked for a skirmish swiftly after the leveller. Brechin simply had to keep their heads as Hearts maintained their cool following all the previous panic.

Seven minutes into the second half, the visitors stole in front then never looked back.

The excellent Kabangu’s clever movement created space for a dangerous ball to the front post.

Ex-Hearts kid Kevin McHattie dived in to try and intercept. His errant touch spun goalwards and beat his own keeper and Vargas arrived on the line to try and claim the scraps. 

Home keeper Wilson, under pressure, then clawed at a clipped Vargas cross. Kabangu preyed on the loose ball and had time to turn and fire home from 10 yards.

Wilson produced a superb stop from Jorge Grant but there was no keeping the score down, with Kabangu hungry for more.

Sub James Wilson intercepted a poor pass out of defence to slide in Kabangu whose deflected shot completed the scoring.