Derek McInnes warned his men pre-match that Dumbarton are normally a solid side, with experienced players, and that the Men in Maroon may require to be patient.
However, he demanded a strong performance from his much-changed squad on wonderful night for football, temperature around 20c near kick-off time, with a light breeze.
The Jambos did as instructed and it was all Hearts early on, on both flanks, and they had to be patient.
The intent was there from the first whistle and Lawrence Shankland drifted wide to pick up the ball as his team-mates moved ball from side to side. Patient football by order.
Even the defenders were involved in the attacks, and Michael Steinwender attempted to slip James Wilson in but his pass too much weight.
Then Shankland attempted to send Elton Kabangu away, but he was blocked by the speed of Shay Kelly coming off his line.
Sander Kartum then beat the Sons defence with a through ball, but Wilson was thwarted, and it took dogged Dumbarton 14 minutes to mount an attack. It came to nothing as Shankland mopped up.
However, the inevitable happened two minutes later when Birthday Boy, Stephen Kingsley, now 31, swung over an exceptional deep cross from the left and Shankland stooped to direct a pin-point header into the button right hand corner.
Minutes later, the same player was denied by Kelly from close in following a fifth corner.
Hearts kept on coming and hard-working Cammy Devlin picked up a loose ball 25 yards out and the fans shouted shoot. He did and the ball fizzed just wide.
Dumbarton were being starved of the ball as Hearts probed for a second. Shankland fed Wilson and his cross was sent to safety then the skipper had a goal-bound shot blocked by Mark Durnan.
The pressure was relentless, and the water break must have come as a welcome relief for the visitors.
Wilson then attempted to find a way through, but the ball was cleared as the eager Jambos stayed in the front foot. Another chance came, this time to Kabangu, but his header failed to trouble the visiting defence.
Hearts switched play to the other flank, looking for an opening, before Kabangu slipped Dumbarton defender, Adam Livingstone, but he sent the ball over the bar from an acute angle.
The same player was inches away from connecting after a crisp Wilson/Shankland move. Kelly reacted well to smother the ball and deny Wilson as the one-way traffic continued.
However, The Sons broke and Scott Honeyman forced a save from Hearts goalkeeper, Ryan Fulton, on a rare breakaway before Hearts netted their second from a disputed corner in the third minute of first-half injury time.
It was defender Steinwender who converted with his head with a close-in effort much to the delight of the home fans with Sander Kartum assisting.
Dumbarton shocked Hearts but hitting the bar through Scott Tomlinson’s let foot shot within minutes of the re-start, but it did not take long for the home side to pile on the pressure and half-time substitute, Greek forward, Alexandros Kyziridis, picked up the ball on the right from Shankland.
He drove for goal, left defenders in his wake as he weaved his way into the penalty box, and sent the ball low into the back of the net across the goalkeeper. The fans were on their feet to applaud the solo strike. Time 51 minutes. It was the newcomers second goal in two games.
Blair Spittal roamed the pitch looking for openings and the former Motherwell man found Wilson in a good position but Gordon Walker showed his pace and defensive ability by clearing the ball to safety.
Hearts, however, were not satisfied and Albanian signing, Sabah Kerjota, showed good pace and a willingness to spray the ball around, before crowd-pleasing Claudia Braga, who was introduced after 60 minutes for Shankland, excited fans with a well-taken goal 12 minutes after coming on.
Kyziridis started the move, finding Devlin whose cut-back was directed into the net by Braga for No 4, his third goal in three games.
Hearts were not finished and Spittal sent the ball inches over the crossbar as the final whistle approached. Lively Kyziridis, whose speed was causing real anxiety for Dumbarton, forced a diving save from Kelly before Braga played Wilson in but desperate defending prevented a fifth.
The powerful Greek forward then set-up Wilson but the teenager sent the ball over the bar with a header.
Frankie Kent left the field minutes from the end, holding his hamstring, but McInnes described that substitution as a precaution.
Overall, Hearts sit on top of Group E with 12 points from four games. Dunfermline are second with six points from three starts then come Hamilton in third with three points, the same points as Dumbarton who are fourth.
Stirling Albion prop up the second and have yet to register a point.
The 8,722 fans at Tynecastle – apart from the 194 from Dumbarton – enjoyed what they saw from new-look Hearts but a stiffer test comes on Saturday when the Jambos entertain newly-promoted Premiership combine, Sunderland, in Craig Gordon’s Testimonial (kick-off 3pm).
It is Hearts’ last game before they open their William Hill Premiership campaign at home to Aberdeen on Monday, August 4 (20.00) in the first phase of the competition.
Hearts: Fulton, Kent, Kingsley, Kabangu, Nieuwenhof, Shankland, Devlin, Steinwender, Spittal, Wilson, Kartum. Substitutes: Clark, Braga, Milne, Findlay, Kerjota, McIntee, Forrester, Drammeh, Kyziridis
Dumbarton: Kelly, Durnan, Blair, Tomlinson, Roy, Livingstone, McIntosh, Honeyman, Neill, Walker, Kirkpatrick. Substitutes: Ecrepont, Lynas, Clark, McEvoy, McCormick, Wallace, Falconer, Docherty, Johnston.
Referee: Iain Snedden
PICTURE: Stephen Kingsley, superb cross for Lawrence Shankland’s opener. Picture Nigel Duncan
