Olly Lee opened the scoring after just 20 seconds with a back post finish and doubled his own and his team’s tally a minute later with a shot from an Elliot Frear corner.
East Fife hit back through Jack Hamilton to reduce the deficit before half-time although Andy Irvine restored Hearts’ two-goal advantage with a long-range stunner midway through the second half.
The home side hit back immediately though through Ryan Wallace and the Robbie Nielson’s men had to hang on for victory in the closing stages. Here's how the Hearts players rated on the night:
Player ratings scale - 10: One of the best performances you've seen. 9: Outstanding. 8: Very good. 7: Good. 6: Average. 5: Poor, 4: Very poor. 3: A terrible day at the office. 2: Abysmal. 1: One of the worst performances you've seen.
The home side hit back immediately though through Ryan Wallace and the Robbie Nielson’s men had to hang on for victory in the closing stages. Here's how the Hearts players rated on the night: