Frankie Kent notched his first goal in maroon to spare Heart of Midlothian’s blushes and send his side through to the next round of the Scottish Cup – and the defender was pleased to see his team-mates keep their cool as the pressure was ratcheted up during the closing stages against The Spartans.

Hearts took an early lead at Ainslie Park through a Kenneth Vargas header and although Steven Naismith’s men controlled the ball thereafter, clear-cut opportunities for the visitors to double their lead were few and far between.

Spartans gave Hearts a fright when a superb volley from James Craigen levelled the scores before Kent’s last-gasp header ensured the cup tie didn’t go to extra time.

“We stuck in there and kept trying to do the right things, and thankfully we got the goal in the end,” Kent told BBC Scotland.

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“It was tough. We controlled the game but they had their moments too. We knew they would be dangerous from set pieces and they were. You could see that with the goal, and what a goal it was. I turned around and I was like, ‘wow!’.

“The nerves come in once that goes in but we stuck to it and thankfully got the goal in the end.

“I’d had a few headers [earlier in the game] and I’d made a meal of them to be fair, but thankfully I just stayed there and caught the flight of the ball. Thankfully it went in because most of them this season have went flying over. It’s my first goal and I am happy to get it.

“Of course we can go on and win [the Scottish Cup]. You have got to have confidence in how we’re playing and what we’re doing. We are in good form at the minute – hopefully we can continue that.”