LEITH BOSS BACKS CLARKE
NEIL LENNON last night expressed solidarity with Steve Clarke after the Kilmarnock manager was sent to the stand by referee Don Robertson.
Unhappy with the officials’ handling of the opening 45 minutes, Clarke spoke to Robertson at half-time and, as a result, was instructed to watch the remainder of the match from the stand.
‘I don’t know why he got sent to the stand but Steve Clarke is the last person to lose his temper with anybody,’ said Lennon.
‘It happened to me in the corresponding fixture and you know how that ended up, but Steve isn’t like that.
‘I have total sympathy that he can’t do his job in the second half. It’s not right.’
Killie had been denied two penalty-kick appeals during the first half and, although Hibs were also given false hope when the official first awarded a penalty for an apparent trip on Florian Kamberi only to reverse the decision, Lennon sounded no grievance.
He continued: ‘I didn’t think that was a penalty. The referee didn’t get much right today but he got that right and I am sure Steve will have his say on it.’
Clarke offered a typically sober account of the matter, saying: ‘We just had a little chat at half-time and the referee decided I should watch the second half from the stand. Not a problem.
‘I only spoke to him as I was going out for the second half. He asked me to watch it from upstairs. I said as long as he supplies the ticket, fine.’
Asked for a general assessment of Robertson’s performance, he quipped: ‘No comment. Probably the best way to put it is I have never commented on a referee and today I got sent off.’
Clarke was afforded a perfect view of a thrilling second half featuring six goals. Lennon was pleased to run out winner but although his team scored five times, he was adamant that last weekend’s performance to beat Celtic had been better.
‘It was a humdinger, a great game,’ he said. ‘I have to pay tribute to Kilmarnock. They were superb and the game could have ended in a draw quite easily.’