Referees confirmed for Hearts and Hibs matches as whistler with just 13 top-flight games handed key Jambos clash

Hearts travel to St Mirren and Hibs host Livingston

The referees for Hearts' and Hibs' weekend fixtures have been confirmed

Hearts' trip to St Mirren on Friday night will be overseen by an SFA referee who has taken charge of just 13 Scottish Premiership matches in his career.

Gavin Duncan is the man in the middle for the Paisley clash which could have a huge impact on the Jambos' season depending on the outcome.

Hearts are three points adrift of the Buddies having played a game more but Jim Goodwin's side go into the televised fixture buoyed by their penalty shoot-out victory over Motherwell in the Scottish Cup fifth-round replay after a 4-4 draw following 120 minutes of play.

Duncan has 179 matches under his belt but nearly 130 have been meetings in the Scottish Championship, League One and League Two. He took charge of Hearts' midweek trip to Ross County on January 22, booking two players including Tynecastle defender John Souttar, as the teams played out a 0-0 draw in Dingwall.

He has flashed 651 yellow cards and 35 reds in thost 179 matches, awarding 64 penalties.

Newlands gets Hibs gig

Hibs, meanwhile, face Livingston at Easter Road on Saturday knowing three points would take them above the West Lothian side who could feature former Easter Road favourites Efe Ambrose and Marvin Bartley in their ranks.

Alan Newlands has been appointed to take charge of the fifth-versus-sixth match-up just a fortnight after overseeing the Scottish Cup fifth-round tie between BSC Glasgow and Hibs.

The Hibees recorded a 2-1 win in the only other match Newlands has reffed involving the Capital club when they beat St Mirren in late November at the Simple Digital Arena.

Newlands, who took charge of his first Scottish Premiership clash in August last year, is closing in on 200 matches as a referee, with more than half of those fixtures coming in League One and League Two.

In his 191 games in the middle he has dished out 631 yellow cards, 37 reds and awarded 57 penalties.