Collins pleas case for Sheils

JOHN COLLINS today revealed he'll be pleading with the Hibs directors to appeal Dean Shiels' derby day red card.

The Northern Ireland internationalist was sent off seconds after equalising from the penalty spot as he clashed with Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

Shiels was accused of throwing a punch at the Scotland star by assistant referee Willie Dishington, a charge he vehemently denies. And, today, he received the backing of his manager, who confronted Shiels as he left the pitch to demand the truth.

Having already been informed by fourth official Mike Tumilty that Shiels was on his way, Collins went to Dishington who, according to the Hibs boss, told him his player had punched Gordon.

Collins said today: "I said 'are you sure?' As Dean came off I asked if he had punched him, to look me in the eye and tell me. He told me he had not, that he'd run into him."

Shiels now faces being suspended for the visit of relegation-threatened Dunfermline on Saturday but, with 12 points likely to be added to his disciplinary record for "violent conduct", he'd be left walking a tightrope, just one more booking away from another ban.

Hibs have three days to lodge an appeal, together with a fee of £1000, with the SFA and Collins discussing the matter today with chairman Rod Petrie and the board. He said: "Personally I think we would appeal, but it is a decision we have to make as a club."

Collins accepted that both television and newspaper pictures made Shiels' action appear violent, but he insisted that was not the case.

He said: "Dean has run in to do one thing and one thing only - that is to try to get the ball. The goalkeeper has stepped slightly in his way and Dean has put his hands up to protect himself. It was a booking but, in my opinion, not a red card in one hundred years.

"Anyone who has played at a high level would realise that, when you score a penalty you want to get the ball back, that's what people want to come and see, football being played.

"Perhaps he should simply have run and celebrated with the fans - but if he'd done that I'd probably have been telling him to go and get the ball."

Collins was reluctant to claim Shiels' dismissal had cost Hibs the game but, after seeing his side haul themselves level having fallen two goals behind, he was convinced the momentum had swung in his team's favour.

Looking down and out after Paul Hartley and Edgaras Jankauskas had scored for Hearts, Hibs were thrown a lifeline by Chris Killen's 12th goal of the season before Nerijus Barasa impeded Shiels to gift the Leith club that fateful spot-kick, only for Saulius Mikoliunas to grab a winner for the home side after the visitors went down to ten men.

Collins said: "I'm not blaming anyone but there is no doubt we were driving forward, that the momentum lay with us. Could we have won it with 11 men? That's irrelevant now."

Hibs were also dealt a blow with a booking for midfield star Michael Stewart which brings a one-match suspension to be served when Collins takes his side to play Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on January 15.

Taken from the Scotsman