Ryan Porteous red card: Ex-referee 'casts doubt' on Hibs winning appeal as he discusses Rocky Bushiri handball

Hibs will be lucky to overturn the red card shown to defender Ryan Porteous in the 3-1 defeat by Aberdeen, according to an experienced former referee.

Hibs defender Ryan Porteous argues with referee Alan Muir after his sending-off against Aberdeen

Ex-English Premier League official Dermot Gallagher, appearing on Sky Sports’ ‘Ref Watch’ segment, analysed the incident at Pittodrie that earned Porteous his second straight red card of the campaign and has predicted that the Capital club’s appeal will fall on deaf ears.

The retired whistler said: “I don’t fancy their chances. I can’t see what their grounds are [for the appeal] but they have obviously seen something I can’t.

"[McCrorie] is in the six-yard box, about to kick the ball towards the goal. I don’t think there’s a more obvious goal-scoring opportunity.

"I think the appeal will fail.”

Hibs boss Shaun Maloney insisted: “If you watch it back you can see Ryan go for the ball. He gets the man so it’s a penalty, but the red card is incorrect.

Speaking about the decision to award the Dons a penalty for handball against Rocky Bushiri, Gallagher added: “He’s unlucky that it’s struck him, but his arm is out and blocks the cross, and that’s how the rules interpret it this season: arm out, blocking a cross, penalty.

"If it comes off him, it’s different. He’s unlucky, but the referee has to give it.”

However, Maloney claimed that referee Alan Muir had apologised for getting the decision wrong – because the ball did come off Bushiri’s knee before his arm.

He said: “He didn’t see the deflection off Rocky’s knee onto his arm so he gets that wrong. He said he apologised, people make mistakes. It’s difficult, but that’s football.”

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