Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes was left raging after his side's Scottish Cup defeat to Hearts, accusing the Tynecastle team of gamesmanship.

Callum Paterson's first-half goal was enough to see the Jam Tarts into the next round of the competition, but the Dons boss was unhappy with some of the home side's antics.

Mayhem broke out in the final minutes of the match as Aberdeen refused to concede possession from an injury-time throw-in after Neil Alexander kicked the ball out with home skipper Alim Ozturk indicating he had cramp.

Hearts substitute Juanma Delgado remonstrated with McInnes after the final whistle of a game that saw seven bookings between the two sides.

McInnes felt Aberdeen did nothing wrong by launching an attack following the throw-in, which soon led to Paterson being booked for a foul on Jonny Hayes.

He said: "It was my instruction for Jonny Hayes to keep possession of the ball.

"There's nothing wrong with Ozturk when the cross comes in. All of a sudden he went from the front post to the edge of the box and then goes down.

"It's something consistent with what Hearts do at times when they are trying to see a game out, and something we made the players aware of. Alexander couldn't wait to get the ball out the park."

McInnes, who said Neilson's calls for a yellow card following a Graeme Shinnie foul were "disappointing, to say the very least", added: "If their player chooses to go down with cramp or whatever and doesn't require a physio, we have every right to keep possession of the ball.

"Juanma of all people giving me the moral high ground about how we shouldn't keep the ball... All I said to him was we had every right to keep the ball. We were guilty of nothing in that instance."

McInnes admitted Hearts were worthy of their win, which came courtesy of Paterson nodding home from six yards after Ozturk headed on Sam Nicholson's corner.

"Hearts were far more aggressive out the blocks," said the Aberdeen boss, who lost Willo Flood for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury.

"We're well aware of their set-play threat and the size of them and when you lose two headers in your own box you normally cause yourselves trouble. We were poor in the first half, no question.

"Half-time came at a good time for us. We were fortunate to be only 1-0 down. With Willo Flood going off injured, we were trying to manufacture a midfield to still carry that threat.

"We were far better in the second half and far more competitive. But we came here with high expectation and the crowd came here with high expectation, and when you play for Aberdeen and manage Aberdeen you've got to deal with that.

"Today, we are open to criticism for the first-half performance. Hearts outfought us rather than outplayed us, and they deserved to go through."