FROM administration, to relegation all the way back to being Scottish Cup winners in the space of a few seasons. Don’t bet against this young and exciting Hearts side completing a most unorthodox of journeys.

Just one goal, the club's first in this competition since the 2012 final win over Hibernian, won the tie but in most areas of the pitch Aberdeen were well beaten.

This was, as Bing Crosby would have said had he been a fan of Scottish football, like the cups ties we used to know. There was blood, thunder, mistakes, shouting, excitement and thrills, all played out in a sensational atmosphere. We even had a melee or two.

“I was really pleased to beat the team we are aiming for," said a delighted Hearts manager Robbie Neilson. "I have got good players and we can manage games. I thought we were excellent."

The Hearts players were unhappy Aberdeen didn't give the ball back right at the end when one of their players had gone down.

"That's up to them how the play the game," said Neilson. "It's not against the rules. It was two big teams in a high stakes game. The Scottish Cup is realistically the only chance of us winning anything this season. Will Aberdeen catch Celtic? It's going to be very difficult."

Those inside Tynecastle knew this game was going to be anything but boring when with less than three minutes gone, and with the first attack, Hearts scored.

They forced a corner on the left which Sam Nicholson took, he floated a ball into the tall Alim Ozturk who headed towards goal and Callum Paterson helped it into the net.

Hearts kept winning corners and Aberdeen’s defending was growing increasingly desperate to the point when on nine minutes, in an attempt to clear his lines, Aberdeen's Kenny McLean crossed into his own box. A few seconds later, Danny Ward thought he had calmed things down by coming from his line to smother the ball, only for the ball to pop out his hands and it was his good fortune the chance fell to Blazej Augustyn who sent his shot wide.

Hearts almost doubled their lead from one of their many corners after 34 minutes. Another good delivery from Nicholson found Augustyn whose header was blocked just in the nick of time by McLean.

Aberdeen lost Willo Flood through a hamstring before half-time and Rooney lost his head when he charged into Augustyn as the ball fell into the arms of Hearts keeper Alexander. Rooney was booked, as was Igor Rossi of the home side who had taken exception to the Irishman’s actions. More than these two could have been shown cards in the aftermath.

McInnes and Neilson fell out soon into the second-half when Graeme Shinnie tripped Arnaud Djoum in front of the managers. Neilson looked for a booking which McInnes described later as "disappointing to say the very least."

Aberdeen had a strong appeal for a penalty on 54 minutes when Ozturk appeared to pull down Rooney as the striker was trying to get on the end of a cross.

On 67 minutes, Aberdeen got the opportunity they had been waiting for and blew it. Johnny Hayes’s low cross found Andrew Considine a few yards from goal and the defender somehow put his shot wide, which looked almost impossible

The excellent Osman Sow had a couple of chances for Hearts, the best coming on 74 minutes when with his umpteenth step-over, he bought himself space and his shot across goal was just off target.

The game ended in an argument and a few Hearts players had a word with the unrepentant Aberdeen manager about his order that his team keep the ball after Ozturk had gone to ground.

"It was my instruction for Johnny Hayes to keep possession," said McInnes. "If you see the play, there is nothing wrong with Ozturk when the ball comes in, all of a sudden he has gone from the front post to the edge of the box and he goes down.

"This is something Hearts do consistently when they are seeing a game out and we made the players aware of it.

"Alexander couldn't wait to get the ball out the park. If their players goes down with cramp and doesn't require a physio, we have every right to keep the ball.

"And at the end Juanma of all people has taken the morale high ground. I said to him we had every right to do what we did.We are guilty of nothing."

McInness, however, did admit this team deserved criticism and had not been good enough. Nobody could argue with that.

Hearts: (4-2-3-1) Alexander, Paterson, Ozturk, Augustyn, Rossi, Nicholson (King 69), Pallardo, Djoum, Buaben, Reilly (Juanma 78), Sow (McGhee 87)

Subs not used: Hamilton, Oshaniwa, Buchanan, Zanatta,

Aberdeen: (3-5-2): Ward, Logan, Shinnie, Considine (Goodwillie 70), Taylor, Reynolds, McLean, Flood (Pawlett 37), Rooney, McGinn, Hayes

Subs not used: Brown, Smith, Robson, Quinn, Storie

Bookings: Hearts (Pallardo 17, Rossi 44, Paterson 93, Alexander 93), Aberdeen (Reynolds 9, Rooney 44, Pawlett 89)

Man of the match: Osman Sow

Referee: John Beaton

Attendance: 13,595