GLASGOW (AFP) - Celtic may have crashed out of the Scottish League Cup - after a 2-0 defeat against Hearts - but manager Gordon Strachan insists his players can be proud of their efforts.

Two late goals from Lithuanian Andrius Velicka handed Hearts the shock win at Celtic Park to join Rangers, Aberdeen and Dundee United in the semi-finals.

However, Strachan refused to criticise his players' efforts and believed they had done enough to deserve victory.

"I'm hugely disappointed with the result and I just didn't see it coming. I thought if we kept playing the way we were then we would win the match," he said.

"Hearts had very few clear-cut chances while we had plenty of good opportunities to score but we didn't finish them off.

"I thought we did enough to win any football match and I can't believe we're out.

"But the players can hold their heads up high. Aiden McGeady was phenomenal, Paul Hartley was excellent, Scott Brown was looking good and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Scott McDonald were working hard but it just wasn't to be."

As well as taking Hearts into the semi-finals of the cup the result also secured some revenge for the Tynecastle team who were thrashed 5-0 at Celtic Park earlier this season in the Scottish Premier League.

Velicka, who had replaced Calum Elliot in the 73rd minute, took only four minutes to make an impact, smashing a first time shot into the corner of the

net from Andrew Driver's pass.

And as Celtic pushed forward for an equaliser he scored an even better goal in the 86th minute with a brilliant shot from the edge of the penalty area into the top corner, giving Celtic's Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc no chance.

Hearts first team coach Stephen Frail hoped the result could lead to an improvement in form in the SPL.

He said: "It's a fantastic feeling to come to a place like Celtic Park and win.

"We've now beaten Rangers and Celtic and hopefully the players can take confidence from that and start to climb the league table."

Elsewhere Rangers made sure of their place in the semi-finals with a 2-0 win at Motherwell.

Spanish striker Nacho Novo put the Ibrox side ahead in the 22nd minute, rifling the ball home from 12-yards following Kris Boyd's knock down.

The roles were reversed in the 53rd minute when Novo's pass found Boyd who smashed the ball past Motherwell goalkeeper Graeme Smith from 12-yards.

Paul Quinn pulled one back for Motherwell in the final minute but it was too late to prevent the Ibrox side's victory.

Barry Nicholson scored a hat-trick as Aberdeen secured their place in the last four with a comprehensive 4-1 victory at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Two penalties converted by Nicholson in the 10th and 21st minutes put them in the driving seat and Lee Miller's goal on the stroke of half time secured the win.

Graham Bayne scored a consolation for Caley in the second half before Nicholson completed the scoring and his treble when he converted Chris Clark's pass from six-yards.

Dundee United defeated First Division leaders Hamilton Accies with a 3-1 victory - courtesy of a Noel Hunt hat-trick.

Hunt scored in the 10th minute, heading home Barry Robson's cross from six-yards and then doubled his side's lead in the 76th minute with another header.

Hamilton pulled one back through Richard Offiong but United made sure of the win with Hunt completing his treble with a low drive from 12-yards in the 85th minute.