NEIL LENNON hailed his emphatic Hibs side as they blew away Hearts 3-1 in a stunning Edinburgh derby.

Lennon’s Hibees were unplayable under the Easter Road lights last night as they stunned their Premiership opponents to progress into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals in this fifth-round replay.

Goals from Jason Cummings, Grant Holt and Andrew Shinnie meant a late Esmael Goncalves strike was nothing more than a consolation, and the former Celtic boss praised his men who now progress to host Ayr United in the last eight.

He said: “My players were just magnificent, we blew Hearts away we were so dominant.

“As a manager, I couldn’t have asked for any more from the players or the supporters.

“It’s a very, very good night for the club but it’s just one game. It just puts us in the quarter-final.

“Psychologically it will give the club a lift hopefully. You can see what it means to the supporters with the build up and anticipation and you could see what it meant to the players with the way they played.

“They were ferocious, absolutely ferocious.

“I thought it should have been more. I thought we could have had four or five.

"I couldn't see Hearts scoring. We knew how they were going to play and we were ready for it. We counter attacked very well."

Meanwhile, a devastated Ian Cathro apologised to supporters who booed their team off at half-time and left midway through the second half in a grim night for the Tynecastle club.

The Hearts boss said: “We didn’t turn up to the fight at the start of the game. That’s something we need to accept.

“We need to put our hands up and accept that we’ve, all of us, collectively, let the club down, let the fans down – and we’ve got a hell of a lot of making up to do.

“Of course it’s a concern. It is. It’s a lesson. And we need to find that. They have it. They have it. But we – and I – have made the mistake in over-estimating what stage we’re at.”