HIBS ACCEPT McNULTY BAN FOR STAMP
MARC McNULTY will serve a two-match ban after Hibernian officially accepted a charge that the striker stamped on Sean Clare during Hearts’ Edinburgh derby triumph on Tuesday. The on-loan Reading forward trod on his opponent’s back as they contested a loose ball early in the clash at Easter Road. The flashpoint was missed by referee Kevin Clancy and his assistants at the time but McNulty was issued with an SFA notice of complaint for violent conduct. Rather than appeal, he will now miss tomorrow’s crucial match against Aberdeen and the subsequent visit of St Johnstone. The incident set the tone of what was to be a grim night for the hosts, with Daniel Stendel’s men going on to give their relegation fight a boost as they claimed a 3-1 victory. Speaking earlier yesterday, manager Jack Ross offered a cautious defence of McNulty and said his behaviour was out of character. ‘You can’t get inside people’s heads but football is a very emotive game and things happen,’ he said. ‘Marc isn’t the type of guy who gets involved in incidents like that, not in my experience of him. Anyone who knows him would say he’s very even-tempered, relaxed, easy going.’ The Hibs boss added: ‘The broadcast footage isn’t great from Marc’s point of view. I’m not being dismissive of incidents which happen, but equally there’s a lot of things happen in split seconds in football. ‘In games like Tuesday’s, there are a lot of decisions that are not in alignment with what they might normally do in all sorts of aspects, and it’s very easy when you’re not in that position to pass judgment and say they should have done better. ‘It’s a frenetic atmosphere, it’s frantic and it’s played by human beings, not robots. It is difficult not to get caught up in it. I suppose the best players are the ones who can keep their cool headedness in all types of aspect in those matches. ‘But this presents an opportunity for someone else and, if they take that chance, then Marc would have to work his way back in.’