ALLOA boss Peter Grant says his team thoroughly deserved their historic victory over Hearts on Saturday.

The 1-0 win after extra time in the Betfred Cup is the first time in the club's 131 year history they've beaten the Edinburgh side in a competitive match and means Alloa are now into the last eight of the competition with Hibs their next opponent.

Grant said: "Listen, apart from Queen of the South, we've been pleased with a helluva lot of stuff. As I've said before – the guys that have been here before – it's the same old rhetoric I'm giving you.

"Even the other evening there [against Hearts] we went 3-0 down, but it could have been four or five in that period with half chances they had. But we dug in, I think in the second half they showed what they're more than capable of and they continued that [on Saturday].

"We're playing against [a team] that's worth whatever, I don't know; one player's probably on more than our full squad put together – that's for the year, not just a week. Half of the boys were working [on Saturday] morning, one until half past four, so going into extra time you're a bit concerned but yet again it shows the desire and commitment they've got along with their talent.

"They're talented boys and I've said that many times, it doesn't matter who we play, we come out to try and win I thought they thoroughly deserved it."

Grant was forced into a defensive reshuffle after Jon Robertson was forced to pull out at the last minute, but his replacement Nicky Jamieson was excellent, as was his partner Andy Graham.

On the central defensive pairing, Grant said: "I thought they were magnificent. I thought, as a group, they defended as a group, worked so, so hard out of possession.

"People say we're a fantastic football side and we play well and I've said many, many times that's good, it's nice to hear that but you have to work so, so hard against the ball and I thought to a man they done that.

"People keep saying to us we have a lot of the ball and don't score goals, we done that today and we kept a clean sheet so what else can you ask for?"

Grant was also keen to praise his part-time players and admits he may have to cut them some more slack.

"They've proven over the last two games that maybe I've got to look at myself," Grant said. "Because I forget these boys are working their socks off at their own jobs.

"Some of them are backshift, nightshift, late shift, whatever you want to call it.

"When Hearts were getting a rub and a massage the other day our boys were out there working so that tells you enough and I think they showed that desire and thoroughly deserved the result."