Hibernian fail in their appeal over red card shown to Ryan Porteous; defender was dismissed after 30 minutes for tackle on Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo; Steven Gerrard described the incident as a 'leg-breaking' tackle; Porteous handed two-game ban
Wednesday 6 October 2021 10:37, UK
Hibernian have failed in their appeal against the red card shown to Ryan Porteous in Sunday's defeat by Rangers, with the defender handed a two-game ban.
Porteous was sent off by referee Nick Walsh for a challenge on Joe Aribo after 30 minutes when the Easter Road side were leading 1-0.
Rangers went on to score twice through Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos to win 2-1 and return to top spot in the Scottish Premiership.
After the game, Hibs manager Jack Ross said: "I think Ryan (Porteous) gives him a decision to make. I don't necessarily agree with the decision but I can understand why it's given."
A three-man Scottish FA panel of former officials reviewed the incident and upheld the decision, meaning the 22-year-old misses matches against Dundee United and Aberdeen.
Former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher believes Walsh was right to show Porteous a straight red card.
He said: "When you look at it, he's gone over the top of the ball.
"Luckily he didn't catch the man as badly as he could have done, but he's gone straight over the top of the ball - red card, and the speed he went at.
"If they feel in Scotland an extra layer [VAR] will give them a parachute of getting decisions right which have been wrong in the past, then it's got to be a good thing."
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard claimed Porteous put in a potential "leg-breaking" tackle on Aribo at Ibrox.
He told Sky Sports: "I know one or two things about bad tackles because I have made a few myself, so I am not in a glass house here.
"It's a wild tackle. It's a leg-breaking tackle if he catches him.
"The kid only has to play the ball.
"I don't know why there is any reason that he wants to go in with that intent and it is the second time that he has done it against us because he done it against Lassana Coulibaly not so long ago.
"So the kid is obviously not learning and he has let his manager and his team-mates down today.
"That is obviously Jack's (Hibernian manager Ross) business.
"There is no defending a tackle like that because the speed of it, the height of it and the force doesn't belong on a football pitch.
"I have had to learn over the years myself as a player to learn from those types of moments of madness. So hopefully the kid learns."
