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They fell behind within 10 minutes when Deividas Cesnauskis volleyed Hearts ahead and were heading for a fourth-round exit when Andrius Velicka netted seven minutes after the interval.

But Chris Porter finished off two superb moves to earn Motherwell a replay and the acclaim of their 3,500 travelling fans at Tynecastle.

Elsewhere goals from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Scott McDonald and Shunsuke Nakamura eased holders Celtic to a 3-0 win over First Division basement side Stirling Albion at Parkhead.

Vennegoor of Hesselink was in the right place to bullet a Lee Naylor cross past Beanos goalkeeper Scott Christie after 37 minutes.

And as Albion tired after the break, strikes from McDonald and Nakamura, playing for the first time since October after recovering from a knee injury, put respectability into the scoreline of a match which the home side controlled from the first whistle.

Falkirk earned a replay against Aberdeen after twice coming from behind to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw.

These two sides could not be separated on league duty only seven days previously but the Dons looked to be heading into the fifth round after taking the lead first through Jamie Smith and then Steve Lovell in a remarkable opening 10 minutes.

However, Falkirk skipper Darren Barr's first equaliser was matched by Spaniard Arnau Riera's header after the break to ensure these sides have it all to do again at Pittodrie on Tuesday week.

Hibernian midfielder Dean Shiels ensured new manager Mixu Paatelainen got his reign off to a winning start by netting a stunning hat-trick to sink Inverness 3-0.

The Northern Irishman celebrated his return to the side by opening the scoring after just five minutes.

The lively playmaker doubled Hibernian's lead in the 53rd minute after nutmegging Phil McGuire on the edge of the box and completed his hat-trick six minutes from time. McGuire and Filipe Morais were sent off late on, as both sides finished with 10 men.

St Mirren avoided being the victims of another giant-killing as they saw off Dumbarton 3-0.

Saints were sent crashing out of the CIS Insurance Cup by Third Division outfit East Fife back in August but there was no shock on the cards at Love Street.

Goals from Mark Corcoran, David Barron and Billy Mehmet sealed a comfortable victory in front of 2,828 fans who had braved the cold to watch the action in Paisley.

And SPL bottom side Gretna had to cling on just for a replay at the end of a fourth-round tie against Morton which they looked to have wrapped up inside 50 minutes but which ended 2-2.

Hosts Morton fell two goals behind after Fabian Yantorno and Evan Horwood netted.

But midfield pair Kevin Finlayson and Jim McAlister hit back for Morton, who could not find a winner despite a spell of intense late pressure on the Gretna goal.

Away from the games involving SPL sides, Queen of the South cruised into the fifth round with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Junior side Linlithgow Rose at Palmerston Park.

Stephen Dobbie gave the First Division club the lead in the 17th minute when he drilled the ball into the bottom corner and captain Jim Thomson doubled the advantage against the East Region Super League outfit with a firm header six minutes later.

Sean O'Connor added a third just before half-time and Stuart McArthur deflected the ball into his own net with 17 minutes left to complete the rout.

Sporting Life / Eurosport