Match ends, Heart of Midlothian 10, Cowdenbeath 0.
HeartsHeart of Midlothian10CowdenbeathCowdenbeath0
Hearts scored 10 goals without reply to condemn Cowdenbeath to the joint-heaviest defeat in their history and earn one of the most astonishing wins of the football season.
Genero Zeefuik scored a hat-trick in three first-half minutes, including two penalties - the second after Lewis Toshney was dismissed for Cowdenbeath.
The result matches Cowdenbeath's heaviest loss, 11-1 to Clyde in 1951.
But the hosts fell short of their record win - 21-0 over Anchor in 1880.
| Memorable heavy defeats |
|---|
| Australia 31-0 American Samoa (World Cup qualifier, 2002) |
| Arbroath 36-0 Bon Accord (Scottish Cup, 1885) |
| Manchester United 9-0 Ipswich Town (Premier League, 1995) |
| Middlesbrough 8-1 Manchester City (Premier League, 2008) |
| Brazil 1-7 Germany (World Cup 2014) |
Following Zeefuik's treble, Sam Nicholson and Jamie Walker added two more as Hearts stormed to a 5-0 half-time lead.
Morgaro Gomis scored a third penalty, Alim Ozturk and Danny Wilson netted further goals and Osman Sow added a brace to complete the scoring, as Robbie Neilson's side maintained their 20-point lead over Hibernian at the top of the Scottish Championship.
Billy King crashed a shot against the crossbar early on and team-mate Zeefuik scored his first from 12 yards after Kenny Adamson was penalised for handball.
Walker then set up Zeefuik to fire home his second and Toshney's foul on King quickly gave the Dutch forward the chance of a treble.
Toshney was shown a straight red card and Zeefuik netted again, with the game still less than half-an-hour old.
Two more Hearts goals followed before the break with both Nicholson and Walker scoring with right-foot shots from outside the box.
After the break, Thomas O'Brien upended Gomis, who added his name to the list of scorers by chipping the spot-kick down the middle.
A stunning strike from Ozturk soon made it seven, drilling a shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
Wilson tucked home in off the post following a corner midway through the second period.
Substitute Sow slammed in a ninth then ensured double figures with another effort into the bottom corner.
Line-ups
Hearts
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Alexander
- 2Paterson
- 5Ozturk
- 4WilsonBooked at 90mins
- 44Eckersley
- 14Pallardo Gonzalez
- 6Gomis
- 11Nicholson
- 7WalkerSubstituted forEl Hassnaouiat 60'minutes
- 12KingSubstituted forKeatingsat 59'minutes
- 23ZeefuikSubstituted forSowat 59'minutes
Substitutes
- 9El Hassnaoui
- 15Gallacher
- 19Keatings
- 20Sow
- 21Anderson
- 22McKay
- 30McGhee
Cowdenbeath
Formation 3-5-1-1
- 17Thomson
- 27ToshneyBooked at 29mins
- 4O'Brien
- 6Wedderburn
- 14Brett
- 7Robertson
- 12KaneSubstituted forArmstrongat 45'minutes
- 28HughesBooked at 83mins
- 3AdamsonBooked at 25mins
- 11HerronBooked at 51minsSubstituted forMilneat 71'minutes
- 9NishBooked at 20mins
Substitutes
- 5Armstrong
- 8Milne
- 10Higgins
- 18Brownlie
- 19Oyenuga
- 20Miller
- 25Sneddon
- Referee:
- Bobby Madden
- Attendance:
- 15,180
Match Stats
Home TeamHeartsAway TeamCowdenbeath
- Possession
- Home67%
- Away33%
- Shots
- Home25
- Away3
- Shots on Target
- Home15
- Away1
- Corners
- Home5
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home16
- Away18
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Heart of Midlothian 10, Cowdenbeath 0.
Post update
Attempt missed. Lewis Milne (Cowdenbeath) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Booking
Danny Wilson (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Foul by Danny Wilson (Heart of Midlothian).
Post update
Colin Nish (Cowdenbeath) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Callum Paterson (Heart of Midlothian).
Post update
Colin Nish (Cowdenbeath) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt missed. John Armstrong (Cowdenbeath) header from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left.
Post update
Foul by Adam Eckersley (Heart of Midlothian).
Post update
Colin Nish (Cowdenbeath) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Attempt saved. Soufian El Hassnaoui (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt missed. James Keatings (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
Post update
James Keatings (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by John Armstrong (Cowdenbeath).
Booking
Declan Hughes (Cowdenbeath) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Osman Sow (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Declan Hughes (Cowdenbeath).
Post update
Foul by Adam Eckersley (Heart of Midlothian).
Post update
Colin Nish (Cowdenbeath) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
