Hearts report and player ratings v Morton as four men score 7/10 in a pulsating Scottish Cup tie

The roar from 3241 travelling fans at Cappielow as Kenneth Vargas struck a late winning goal indicated Hearts' relief at reaching the Scottish Cup semi-finals. Championship club Morton fought bravely and caused many problems against Premiership opposition, but Vargas found the net on 85 minutes to send Hearts into the last four of the competition.

Their supporters rejoined loudly in Greenock's night air at the end of a pulsating cup tie which looked destined for extra-time until Vargas' late intervention. The Costa RIcan winger became only the second Hearts player to score a competitive goal against Morton since Mike Galloway in March 1988. The other is Jamie Walker.

The Edinburgh club did not find any aspect of this quarter-final straightforward despite their top-flight status. Morton marshalled their opponents superbly and restricted space for long spells. They also put many testing balls into the Hearts penalty area before succumbing to a late goal which decided this tie.

With Scotland manager Steve Clarke in attendance in Greenock, this was an opportunity for Hearts players like Lawrence Shankland, Craig Gordon and Stephen Kingsley to impress. Gordon replaced Zander Clark in goal for the Tynecastle side, as was the case in the two previous rounds of the Scottish Cup. He emerged swiftly to block with his body following an early free-kick by the Morton midfielder Alan Power.

The hosts put in a typically energetic first-half display amid a terrific atmosphere. They played on the counter-attack and frequently sent balls forward quickly to pressurise Hearts centre-backs Toby Sibbick and Kye Rowles. The visitors threatened on the half-hour mark when Shankland, facing one of his former clubs, struck Dexter Lembikisa's low cross on the turn and forced the Morton goalkeeper Ryan Mullen to save down at his left.

Shankland shot off target late in the first period having been given minimal time to react from Vargas' cutback. The interval arrived with the notion that Hearts needed more guile to open up Morton's well-drilled low block of five defenders. They controlled much of the possession whilst struggling to create many clear scoring chances.

They did fashion an excelled opening on 54 minutes when Kingsley provided a perfect cross from the left, but Beni Baningime's header on the run flew narrowly over Mullen's crossbar from close range. Hearts looked vulnerable whenever Morton put high balls into their penalty area, and it was clear the Greenock side were keen to use their height advantage at set-plays. Not least from wing-back Lewis Strapp's monstrous throw-ins.

They won a corner and Robbie Muirhead's delivery was met by centre-back Jack Baird for a header which Gordon pushed away at full stretch. Seconds later, Strapp burst through the visiting defence for a low drive which Gordon repelled with his legs. Hearts composed themselves and midfielder Cammy Devlin tested Mullen with a 69th-minute netbound drive which the keeper palmed to his right.

Vargas had the best chance of the night on 77 minutes. Shankland fastened on to a long ball an forced his way into the opposition penalty box before prodding a square ball to the Costa Rican. He took a touch and poked a right-footed effort from eight yards which clipped the top of the crossbar and went over. Moments later, Kingsley slid a through ball to Hearts substitute Aidan Denholm, but his shot was smothered by Mullen.

Eventually, with 85 minutes played, the deadlock was broken. The catalyst for the decisive attack was Baningime's direct run from his own half with the ball. He scampered past four opponents to supply Shankland through the middle, and the striker moved the ball on to Vargas for an emphatic first-time finish into the bottom corner.

That brought an eruption from the travelling fans, who realised their team were heading into the semi-finals.

Here are the Hearts player ratings from Cappielow: