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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
David Irvine

Hearts win Scottish FA red card appeal as Haring cleared for Aberdeen clash

Hearts have won their appeal against the red card shown to Peter Haring.

The club lodged an appeal against David Dickinson's call to dismiss the midfielder for a challenge on St Mirren's Mark O'Hara.

Haring slid into the challenge on O'Hara to trip the opposition player and stop a possible counter-attack.

Dickinson deemed the challenge worthy of a straight red with VAR not sending the official to the monitor for another look.

However, the red card has been reduced to a yellow after a fast-track tribunal hearing at Hampden.

The Scottish FA decision reads: "Claim partially upheld. The Red Card offence of A1 – Serious Foul Play; the sanction is rescinded and replaced with cautionable offence B1b – Recklessly trips or attempts to trip an opponent."

It means Haring is now available for selection against Aberdeen this weekend.

A Hearts statement confirmed: "The club can confirm that Peter Haring's red card has been reduced to a caution following a Hampden hearing.

"Peter will be available for selection for Saturday's cinch Premiership match with Aberdeen at Tynecastle."

On The VARdict, ex-referee Stuart Dougal said of the incident: "We can see a great clip there. It can't be for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, or I don't think it can because we have got covering defenders there. It's clearly inside the attacker's half so you can't say that's denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

"The type of contact? Now, I can understand why the referee may have thought that there's enough in that because he is sliding in, the foot is raised. Has he missed a bit of contact, the referee might be thinking.

"So, rather than taking his time, he's rushed in with a red card. I'm surprised VAR didn't say 'do you want to have a look at it again?'

"Again, what's the criteria? Is there a clear and obvious error? Now, you might look at that and think 'I think that's a clear and obvious error. Another match official can look at that and think 'I'm not sure it's a clear and obvious error, but'...and a word I'm now going to be using a lot is questionable.

"And I would like to see something softened in terms of the criteria where a referee is asked to go and review major decisions like penalties, goals, red cards.

"And I think that's questionable and as a former referee I would love to see that again just to double check."

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