Minutes later Gorgie defender John Souttar volleyed in a second and substitute Sean Clare made it 3-0 from the spot in the 74th minute after Inverness keeper Mark Ridgers had fouled Ikpeazu, to set up a final meeting with either Aberdeen or Celtic.

"It is gutting looking back at it," said McCart.

"I spoke to Jake and he said he passed it straight to me. I knew I was offside in the first phase but obviously with him passing the ball to me I should I have been offside.

"It is a tough one to take. It was a massive part of the game. It puts them on the back foot and gives us a bit of spirit. But they hit us with a sucker punch after that which kills the game off.

"But these things happen in football and it is hard for officials to see every small touch, or if it was a touch.

"It is disappointing but sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't."

Chalmers was also left frustrated after he came close to leveling the scores with a wonderful free-kick from 20 yards which Zlamal tipped on to the bar.

The Inverness midfielder said: "I was confident stepping up to hit it and I don't think I could have hit it any better than I did but it was an unbelievable save and credit where it is due to the keeper.

"Obviously small differences like that in semi-finals can change the course of the game.

"Obviously Hearts made it comfortable in the end but to make it 1-1, it might have changed momentum."

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