Hibs v Aberdeen ratings as Hanley red card, VAR and referee controversy contribute to horror defeat

Ten-man Hibs were left cursing a horrible lapse from Grant Hanley – and the ghostly presence of a former favourite – as they suffered a painful X-0 defeat against Aberdeen in the Granite City. But David Gray’s men also left Pittodrie nursing a sense of injustice over referee David Dickinson’s refusal to show the home side a red card at crucial stage of the contest.

A horror decision from Scotland World Cup hero Grant Hanley saw Hibs go a goal behind and a man down with barely 15 minutes played, the centre-half left with little defence for his clumsy challenge on Toyosi Olusanya. Hanley was red carded – and former Hibs striker Kevin Nisbet scored from the spot.

The Dons survived a red card check of their own when Emmanuel Gyamfi escaped with just a yellow card for smashing Owen Elding in the back of the head in first-half injury time. That was a decision that left the Hibs bench incensed.

And they were left deflated when Nisbet bagged a second with just over 15 minutes remaining, the forward’s shot clearly crossing the line off the underside of the bar – but again requiring a VAR intervention before it was awarded. It was that sort of afternoon for the officials.

On a day when Hearts coming back to beat Motherwell opened the door for Hibs to catch the Steelmen in the race for European qualification, this will feel like an opportunity missed. But one influenced by a couple of major turning points.

After making such a quick start in the previous weekend’s home win over Kilmarnock, Hibs certainly weren’t as sharply out of the blocks here. In the case of Hanley, an inability to get up to any sort of speed would prove costly.

There was no huge danger as the veteran defender tracked the run of Olusanya in pursuit of a high ball dropping around the edge of the penalty box. But the vastly experienced centre-half found himself outmuscled, out of position and out of ideas as he put in a desperately ugly challenge on the Dons striker.

After a VAR check, including an on-field review by referee Dickinson, a penalty was awarded an red card flashed at Hanley. Nisbet took great delight, obviously, in sending Raphael Sallinger the wrong way to score against his old club from the penalty spot.

With the home team then sitting off in a back five, against ten men, Hibs did have chances to get up the park. And should have found themselves on level terms, at least when it came to men on the pitch, when Gyamfi clearly caught Elding in the back of the head just before half-time.

Video assistant referee Greg Aitken clearly thought the Dons wingback had committed violent conduct. But Dickinson, again called for a pitch-side review, deemed the offence worthy only of a yellow card.

Owen Elding should have equalised from a one-on-one early in the second half. But it was the home side who found the net again, Nisbet pouncing on a loose ball to crash his shot in off the woodwork after 74 minutes.