HEARTS ARE ONE win away from claiming the Scottish Cup for the first time since 2012.
Craig Levein’s side scored three times in 25 second-half minutes in today’s semi-final at Hampden Park to record a 3-0 victory over Championship outfit Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Hearts will return to Hampden to face Celtic or Aberdeen — who meet in tomorrow’s second semi-final — in the decider on 25 May.
The Hearts starting line-up for today’s game included two Irishmen: 23-year-old Dublin-born winger Jake Mulraney and 19-year-old striker Aidan Keena, who hails from Westmeath.
Mulraney produced a man-of-the-match display against his former club, creating the opening goal early in the second half when his good work set up Uche Ikpeazu to fire home.
John Souttar volleyed in the second on 66 minutes, before Sean Clare secured the victory from the penalty spot in the 74th minute after Ikpeazu was fouled in the box by Mark Ridgers.
“Jake’s been showing in glimpses how devastating he can be when he gets on the ball and attacks and plays on the front foot,” Hearts boss Craig Levein said of Mulraney afterwards.
“He’s shown that in a lot of matches but he hasn’t put together a performance like the performance he put on today. He’s not a guy who’s blessed with the most confidence so I think this will help him enormously and I was really chuffed with him today.”
On-loan Leeds United defender Conor Shaughnessy and Ireland international goalkeeper Colin Doyle were unused substitutes for Hearts.
For Inverness, former Ireland U21 international Aaron Doran played all 90 minutes, while Derry-born midfielder Darren McAuley was introduced from the bench.
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