Hearts ran out comfortable 3-0 winners against an injury-ravaged Dunfermline with a dominant display at Tynecastle.
Ramon Pereira and Paul Hartley added to a first-half goal from Dennis Wyness to underline the home side's superiority.
New Scotland manager Walter Smith was an interested spectator as Dunfermline attempted to improve on a wretched record at Tynecastle, having gone almost 15 years without a victory at the Edinburgh stadium.
The writing was on the wall from the opening minute when Derek Stillie had to leap acrobatically to save a fierce shot from Wyness.
No Dunfermline player had kicked the ball at that stage as Hearts passed the ball around with ease and took command from the start.
There was an early warning for the home side when Barry Nicholson looped a header inches past Craig Gordon's right-hand post from a Greg Ross cross.
But it was all Hearts after that. Gary Mason did well to head a Mark de Vries effort off the line from a Wyness cross and the goal duly arrived in the 11th minute.
Joe Hamill picked out Wyness with a cross from the left and the former Inverness Caley player was unmarked as he headed a simple goal past a stranded Stillie.
Hearts had plenty of possession and should have put the game beyond Dunfermline's reach by the interval.
But Dunfermline were not without threat. Gordon looked uncomfortable dealing with a free-kick from Scott Thomson which bounced awkwardly in front of him but he gathered at the second attempt.
Hearts hit back and a Pereira shot was deflected over before de Vries shot carelessly over from ten yards when he had the goal at his mercy.
Dunfermline managed to keep Hearts to just the one goal advantage at half-time but, within 60 seconds of the restart, it was 2-0 when Pereira thundered an angled shot past Stillie after de Vries had put him through.
The same combination should have worked again shortly afterwards when the referee played the advantage as de Vries raced in on goal.
The Dutch striker unselfishly gave the ball to Pereira but he wanted too much time over his finish and Dunfermline scrambled the ball clear.
There was no way back for Dunfermline after 56 minutes when Greg Ross pulled down Wyness in the area and Hartley slammed the resultant penalty into the top corner of the net.
De Vries should have made it four in the 59th minute when Robbie Neilson put the ball back into his path but he shot wildly.
Substitute Phil Stamp then robbed Darren Young but stabbed the ball tamely at Stillie when he had de Vries waiting in the centre.
But, by then, Hearts had done more than enough.