Heartbreaking night at Cappielow as Morton come oh-so-close

The home side agonisingly conceded with just a few minutes shy of taking this gripping encounter to extra time.

Morton were punching well above their weight and created great chances to score before Costa Rican international Kenneth Vargas stung like a scorpion to kill off the Cup dream in the club's 150th anniversary year, as Steven Naismith's men booked a semi-final day at Hampden.

There was a sense of pessimism heading into this one as Dougie Imrie was once again left to work with the bare bones on the biggest match his side has faced this season.

They could only name one senior player on their bench as Ton's injury crisis threatened to squeeze that bit harder.

Jai Quitongo dropped out of the side after his poor performance against Dundee United and the squad all together in a move that will have left many a Ton fan wondering where his future lies.

He was replaced by veteran defender Kirk Broadfoot in a change of shape to Imrie's line-up.

The Tele had predicted the introduction of Broadfoot from the start, but in place of O'Connor. Instead, Imrie opted to put him alongside the Irishman as Ton went to a back five.

This saw an already light forward line become even lighter as Robbie Muirhead was left with only Robbie Crawford to play off of him.

But this wouldn't stop the first chance of the game falling to the hosts, though, after Muirhead was fouled by Jambo's right back Dexter Lembikisa five minutes in.

It resulted in Alan Power curling in a cross similar to the one that had teed up George Oakley against Ayr United.

He found Cameron Blues whose header was saved by an onrushing Craig Gordon in the Hearts goal, who couldn't clear the ball, and Blues then hooked it back over the bar.

All the talk pre-match was about how to stop Lawrence Shankland, who was spearheading the Hearts front line before the eyes of national team boss Steve Clarke.

But it took the star striker more than 20 minutes to get his first sniff at Ton keeper Ryan Mullen's goal off the back of a poor clearance from Tyler French.

Shankland cottoned onto the ball on the edge of the Morton box before lashing a half volley over the bar.

His second chance came around ten minutes later and it caused Mullen a lot more bother than the first.

Some good work from Vargas down the left saw him combine with Grant who found the Shankland on the edge of the Ton box and his curler forced Mullen into a smart save, down to his left at full stretch.

Chances were few and far between for Ton in a first half where they soaked up the pressure being applied by their opponents with solid defending.

But in a rare foray forward they should have been tested Gordon five minutes before the break.

Good persistence from Strapp saw him win the ball from Lembikisa on halfway. The ball found Muirhead who opted to go it alone with an ambitious shot from range and a tight angle when a pass to his team-mate would have been better.

He got his attempt at the spectacular all wrong and the ball flew into the mass ranks of the travelling support. 

Muirhead had another go on the cusp of half time after winning a free kick from Devlin. 

He again went directly for goal from the right hand side of the 'D' and tried to find the top corner with his left foot but it was a comfortable save for Gordon.

Ton would start the brighter after the break, with the 8,500-strong crowd enthused by their efforts, and they had their first chance a few minutes after the restart.

Lewis Strapp's throw from the left caused issues in the Hearts box, which saw Sibbick clear only as far as Blues who could only fire wide from the edge of the box.

The Jambos would soon flex their muscles though, reminding the home side of their power when they managed to get forward quickly and move the ball out to Kingsley on the left, and he drilled a first time cross into the box with Beni Baningime flinging himself at it but sending his header over the bar.

This was now turning into a no holds barred scrap as Ton wouldn't go down without a fight though.

Strapp stung the palms of Gordon just two minutes later. His good running got onto a lofted ball in behind Sibbick, which saw him with options in the box, but instead of squaring for Muirhead or Crawford he went alone and for the near post as the Scotland international pushed the ball clear.

Shankland was perhaps lucky to remain on the pitch with just shy of half an hour remaining after he appeared to lash an elbow out at Lewis Strapp, but whistler David Dickinson only brandished a yellow.

There were doubts over Mullen's fitness heading into the game, but he'd keep his side in it with 20 minutes to play, after Devlin latched onto a second ball on the edge of the box before letting rip towards the top left corner. But Mullen somehow plucked the ball, Gordon Banks-style, out of the air and allowing Baird to clear.

But their biggest let off would come with 12-minutes to go as Shankland finally got a bit of room to run in behind Bird and O'Connor.

When one-on-one with Mullen he got caught between the pair and slipped the ball back to Vargas on the penalty spot, but the Costa-Rican got it all wrong as he tried to lift the ball over O'Connor, hitting the bar with a guilt edged opportunity.

But the killer blow would come four-minutes from time as the Premiership side would be the heartbreakers as they burst the back of the net with a devastating counter attack.

Shankland wouldn't be the scorer, but he would be the provider after a breakdown in communication between Power and Baird saw Baningime get away and play in the Scotland striker who initially looked to be dragged away from goal, but he slipped in Vargas, who's first time strike rocketed beneath Mullen and into the bottom left corner.

Morton (5-3-1-1) Mullen, French, Baird, Broadfoot, O'Connor, Strapp, Gillespie(Waters,84), Power, Blues, Crawford, Muirhead

Subs not used: Murdoch, McGrattan, Garrity, Bearne

Bookings: Baird(22) Broadfoot(63)

Hearts (4-2-3-1) Gordon, Lembikisa(Atkinson,59), Sibbick, Rowles, Kingsley, Baningimie, Devlin (Denholm,78), Grant(Cochrane,59), Forrest, Vargas, Shankland

Subs not used: Clark, Tait, Tagawa, Sandilands, Mcluckie, Wilson

Bookings: Devlin (43) Shankland (63)

Scorers: Vargas (86)

ATT: 8500

MOTM: Alan Power - The Irishman was superb on a night where he could've been easily overran as the only sitting midfielder against vast experience on the biggest stage of them all.

Cammy Devlin was cutting shoulders with Lionel Messi just over 12-months ago but he was nowhere near Power all night.