Hearts knocked out of Scottish League Cup, Hibs progress

Heart of Midlothian have crashed out of the Scottish League Cup at the group stage after losing on penalties to Dunfermline Athletic.

The win puts Championship side Dunfermline through to the knockout stage as Group B winners, with Hearts finishing third behind League Two team Peterhead.

The loss has cast further doubts on manager Ian Cathro’s future. The 31-year-old has led Hearts to just seven wins in 2017.

Hearts initially took the lead through Don Cowie but Joe Cardle curled the ball past Jack Hamilton to level the score before half time.

Declan McManus put Dunfermline ahead shortly after the restart before Esmael Goncalves scored an 86th-minute equaliser to force a penalty shootout.

Kyle Lafferty was the only Hearts player to convert a penalty. Misses from Jordan McGhee, Malaury Martin and Cowie handed the two-point win to Dunfermline.

Elsewhere, Edinburgh rivals Hibernian progressed as winners of Group D after a 3-0 win at Alloa and Falkirk beat Brechin City 3-0 to top Group A.

Ayr United also progressed from Group E after a 6-1 win at Annan Athletic, with Hamilton Academical making a secure passage from Group G with a 3-0 win over Stenhousemuir.

Motherwell and Livingston had already progressed as winners of Group F and H before the day’s play.

Dundee and Dundee United meet at Dens Park tomorrow level on points in Group C.

Scottish League Cup results in full: Brechin City 0-3 Falkirk, Forfar Athletic 1-2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Elgin City 0-3 Peterhead, Heart of Midlothian 2-2 (1-3) Dunfermline, Raith Rovers 2-0 Cowdenbeath, Alloa Athletic 0-3 Hibernian, Arbroath 0-0 (4-5) Ross County, Annan Athletic 1-6 Ayr United, Kilmarnock 3-0 Dumbarton, Greenock Morton 5-0 Edinburgh City, Motherwell 1-0 Berwick Rangers, Hamilton Academical 3-0 Stenhousemuir, Queen of the South 2-2 (4-3) Albion Rovers, Partick Thistle 1-0 Stranraer, St Mirren 5-0 Airdrieonians