LENNY: REF WRECKED HIBS’ RECORD BID
Lenny slams ref for ruining Hibs’ shot at making history
Neil Lennon accused ref Nick Walsh of wrecking Hibs’ bid to make history by dishing out an “innocuous” red card to Marvin Bartley.
The capital club, who would have registered their best EVER start to a league season with a sixth straight win, were cruising at 1- 0 following Jason Cummings’ wonder goal.
However, the contest was turned on its head when Bartley barrelled late through Jamie Adams.
Walsh gave the midfielder a straight red and Ayr United went on to claim a remarkable win. Goals f rom ex-Hearts kid Conrad Balatoni and Brian Gilmour secured their first win at Easter Road since 1980.
But Lennon insists Hibs would have completed a comfortable win if the clash had remained 11 versus 11.
He said: “The red card completely changed the game. We were in total control until that point.
“I’m not convinced it was a red. It is definitely worth looking at an appeal.
“Marvin has gone in low, with one leg and might have caught the boy late. But there was no malice in the tackle.
“There were other cynical things going on that went unpunished or only received a yellow card. A red card for that was very harsh to say the least.
“Marv is bitterly disappointed – all the players are because it looked pretty innocuous, just a late challenge.”
Hibs had already matched their previous best start to a league season, equalling the five wins on the spin registered by Willie McCartney’s side in the 1946/47 season.
Lenny’s charges were desperate to go one better as they flew out the blocks and within two minutes Grant Holt’s header was saved by Greg Fleming.
Next the Norwich City legend met a Cummings cross but his slide-rule effort hit the post. Lewis Stevenson and Fraser Fyvie also went close but Ayr rode out the green- and-white storm until the half-time interval.
But Cummings then produced a moment of brilliance to open the scoring in the 50th minute. He picked up the ball 25 yards from goal and fired a sumptuous curling drive into the top corner.
Ayr almost levelled when Jamie Adams’ powerful header was cleared of f the l ine by Fyvie.
But t he match e x plo de d with 20 minutes left when Bartley attempted to recover his own loose touch and crashed into Adams, prompting Walsh to give him his marching orders.
Ayr took just seven minutes to make their numbers count with Balatoni heading home from Gilmour’s corner.
Then in 80 minutes Nicky Devlin left Stevenson for dead and produced a perfect cut-back for Gilmour, who slotted beyond Ofir Marciano.
Lennon added: “It annoys me conceding from a set play. That shouldn’t happen and we should be doing better. It just gave Ayr a lifeline.
“We were also wasteful in front of goal. There’s a lack of composure and that clinical touch.”