Auchinleck Talbot 0-5 Hearts: Premiership side comfortably avoid shock
- Published
Watch: Halliday goal settles Hearts' nerves at Auchinleck
Hearts comfortably avoided a Scottish Cup fourth round shock by swatting aside sixth-tier side Auchinleck Talbot to reach the last 16.
The Ayrshire outfit have form for knocking SPFL sides out of the cup but were kept at arms length by their top-flight opponents, who were the victims of a shock at Brora Rangers last term.
Liam Boyce scored either side of the break to add to Andy Halliday's early header, then Peter Haring and Alex Cochrane netted to ultimately set up a last-16 tie with Livingston.
Talbot - who play in the West of Scotland Premier League - put out Championship side Hamilton Academical in the third round and have regularly taken SPFL scalps in the last two decades.
It was no surprise, then, that Hearts boss Robbie Neilson picked a strong team, with John Souttar the only major absentee from their midweek league win due to injury, although talks continue about an expedited move to Rangers.
But despite Talbot's reputation for a shock, and home advantage on a tight park at Beechwood, Hearts got to grips with their task early and went in front when Barrie McKay picked out Halliday to head home on 14 minutes.
By that point Boyce had already had a goal ruled out for offside, and then another chalked off for the same reason before the break - when replays showed the Northern Irishman was clearly onside.
But he did get his goal before the half-time whistle, sending Talbot captain Andrew Leishman the wrong way after Chris Stafford was penalised for handball in the box.
The Premiership side's dominance continued and they effectively sealed their safe passage to the next round five minutes into the second half when Boyce glanced the ball into the bottom corner after a terrific run and cross to the back post by Halliday.
Talbot's Graham Wilson had a great chance to immediately pull a goal back and restore some hope but skied his effort from 10 yards, which proved the end of the home side's resistance.
Instead, Hearts comfortably got through the last half hour with Haring sweeping the ball into the top corner to cap a good move, before Cochrane tapped in Nathaniel Atkinson's cross to seal a professional display in the final 10 minutes.
Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson: "We knew coming here it was going to very, very tough. The first few minutes Auchinleck had a couple of chances and if one of those go in it's a different story.
"But I thought we were professional. And we're in the hat and that's the most important thing."