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Steve Lovell scored the only goal of a bad-tempered cup tie at Tynecastle
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Steve Lovell sent Hearts tumbling out of the Scottish Cup as Falkirk soaked up incessant pressure at Tynecastle before securing an unlikely victory.
Hearts, spurred on by the impressive Andrew Driver, twice went close in the first half through striker Gary Glen.
Lovell made Hearts pay when he sent a looping header over Janos Balogh.
Hearts appealed in vain for a penalty when Driver tumbled in the box before defender Marius Zaliukas and Bairns midfielder Scott Arfield saw red.
Hearts started in impressive fashion with winger Driver causing the visitors problems on the left-hand side as former Jambos Steven Pressley and Neil McCann looked to knock their old side out of the cup.
Midfielder David Obua found himself in acres of space after 13 minutes, but his 25-yard shot drifted harmlessly wide of Dani Mallo's goal.
Driver tore through Falkirk's defence nine minutes later and his clever cut-back was fired just wide by Gary Glen.
The visitors lacked a cutting edge in the opening half hour and seemed content to repel the constant Hearts attacks and try to hit them on the break.
Falkirk's first real attempt on goal came seven minutes from the break and could have been a disaster for Hearts goalkeeper Janos Balogh.
The Hungarian keeper came to claim Dean Holden's high cross into the box, but completely mistimed his leap and Falkirk striker Michael Higdon's header slipped wide of the right-hand post.
Mallo saves superbly to deny Glen after a flowing Hearts move which saw Robbie Neilson cut a great ball back from the right and the keeper tipped Glen's fizzing drive over the bar.
After the break, the hosts continued where they had left off and forced Falkirk to remain camped in their own half.
Hearts striker Gary Glen tussles for the ball with Jackie McNamara
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But the home supporters were stunned when Lovell gave Falkirk a surprise lead in the 58th minute.
Zaliukas failed to clear Lee Bullen's cross properly and from McNamara's high ball back into the box, Lovell peeled away to head the ball over the despairing Balogh.
A minute later and Driver looked to have earned Hearts a penalty when he tumbled under Holdon's challenge.
But, after consulting his assistant, referee Dougie McDonald awarded a corner - much to the anger of the Hearts fans.
The Tynecastle side's hopes of finding an equaliser suffered a blow when defender Zaliukas was sent-off after wrestling Carl Finnigan to the ground as the Falkirk man raced in on goal.
It was Hearts' eighth red card of the season and summed up a miserable day for the Jambos.
Falkirk midfielder Arfield was then sent off for his second bookable offence after chopping down Obua, and Kingston failed to make his free-kick count after Pressley was yellow carded for a crude challenge on Michael Stewart.
Hearts: Balogh, Neilson, Zaliukas, Karipidis, Lee Wallace, Obua, Aguiar, Stewart, Driver, Glen, Jonsson. Subs: Kello, Thomson, Elliot, Mrowiec, Kingston.
Falkirk: Dani Mallo, Bullen, Pressley, Barr, McNamara, Arfield, Riera, McCann, Holden, Lovell, Higdon. Subs: Olejnik, O'Brien, Cregg, Finnigan, Stewart.
Referee: D McDonald
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