Hearts booked passage to the next round of the Scottish Cup after defeating Brechin City 4-1 at Glebe Park.
Elton Kabangu scored a brace in his first goals for the club, whilst a peach from Yan Dhanda and a Kevin McHattie own goal wrapped up the win in Angus.
The Jambos fashioned the first chance after eight minutes as Kenneth Vargas sent a bullet header whizzing wide of the post following a cute delivery from Yan Dhanda on the right. Brechin gave as good as they got, and stormed up the park moments later as Marc Scott sent a low drive into Gordon’s side netting.
Brechin were forced into shuffling the pack early in the first half after skipper Euan Spark went off injured after hurting himself challenging Elton Kabangu near the touchline, with Scott Bright coming on as his replacement.
It was a stroke of fortune, as Bright collected the ball on the edge of the box and let fire from distance, his effort crashing in beyond the reach of Craig Gordon as Brechin claimed the lead after 26 minutes.
Hearts huffed and puffed against an industrious and hard working Brechin side, but the equaliser would arrive five minutes before half-time as Yan Dhanda curled a sumptuous effort beyond Lenny Wilson from the edge of the box.
HT: Brechin City 1-1 Heart of Midlothian
Hearts claimed another early into the second 45 as Kevin McHattie accidentally turned the ball into his own net whilst attempting to deal with Elton Kabangu’s dangerous ball from the left.
And provider turned scorer as Kabangu grabbed his maiden goal for Hearts with a fine finish from inside the box after he received Kenneth Vargas’s square ball across goal on the hour mark.
Wilson was kept busy in the Brechin goal, stopping a good Hearts breakaway as he made himself big to deny what looked a Jorge Grant effort destined for goal after 73 minutes.
The Belgian would grab his second of the evening after 78 minutes as Hearts punished Brechin for losing the ball on the edge of the box. Substitute James Wilson unselfishly squared for the striker who finished beyond Wilson.
It was a controlled and composed performance from Critchley’s men, who comfortably dominated the second half to book safe passage to the fifth round.
Brechin City: Wilson, McHattie, Martin, Spark © (Bright 16’), Scott (Logan 87’), MacLeod, Robertson (Tosh 60’), Loudon (Ferguson 87’), Moreland, Milne (Sheridan 60’), McKay
Subs: Carmody, Ferguson, Sheridan, Johnston, Bright, Tosh, Logan
Hearts: Gordon, Halkett, Baningime, Grant, Devlin (Forrest 86’), Kabangu, Dhanda (Spittal 68’), Penrice, McCart (Taylor 80’), Forrester (Oyegoke 68’), Vargas (Wilson 68’)
Subs: Clark, Oyegoke, Spittal, Forrest, Boateng, Wilson, Drammeh, Taylor
