Hearts must "rise above the emotions" of being strong favourites away to Stenhousemuir on Friday with a place in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals at stake, says head coach Wouter Vrancken. The Tynecastle side are unbeaten in their past eight matches, but Vrancken is wary of the challenge posed by the surprise Scottish Championship leaders on their own artificial surface at Ochilview. "It's not about Astro, it's not about stadium, it's not about all those things.
Excuses are for losers, let's say," Vrancken said as he demands the same focus shown in the recent Edinburgh derby and European qualifiers. "You have to prepare, you have to prepare yourself and you have to be ready. You have to cope with those things and be ready and be above.
"Like I told the players also before the Hibs game, we have to be above the emotions. "Here also you have to be above the emotions. You are the favourites playing against the underdogs and this is a totally different situation as playing Benfica." Visit our Hearts page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views Get Hearts news notifications in the BBC Sport app Stenhousemuir took Motherwell to exta time before winning 1-0 at Ochilview in round two.
"The game is 90 minutes, we don't have to decide the game in the first 15 minutes," added Vrancken. "We will try from the first second to play our game and then we'll see where we get. The most important thing is going to the next round.
"Even when you don't score directly, you have to stay in your game. You cannot underestimate the opponent. They're also there for a reason.
"We have to be ready to deal with it and to go our chances without thinking it's going to be easy. When you do this, then for sure you're lost already before the game. We have to be ready as well as mentally, as technically, as tactically." Friday's tie marks the start of a demanding run of fixtures for Hearts, who face away trips to Falkirk and Kilmarnock over the following week.
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