BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport
NEIL LENNON insists he will order Marvin Bartley to be as uncompromising as ever when Hibernian travel to Dunfermline after the “powerhouse” had a red card rescinded for the second time in a month.
The English enforcer was dismissed by referee Stephen Finnie during Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Raith Rovers after he was alleged to have stamped on winger Bobby Barr.
However, the SFA yesterday confirmed that Bartley had won his appeal against the decision, with the red card downgraded to a caution, just as it was in the days following his ordering off against Ayr United on September 17.
Hibs have now had three red cards in their last four Championship fixtures, with two of those being quashed.
Lennon reckons Bartley is right to feel “vindicated” and will not change his style.
“I don’t think it will affect the way Marvin plays,” confirmed Lennon following the verdict. “If I do speak to him about it then I’ll be telling him: ‘you are in the team to be our powerhouse. Don’t change the way you play.’
“He is not a dirty player. He is very strong and plays the game in the right way. He’s honest and there will be no change in his style – he is in our team to do a specific job.
“When he is vindicated, he can feel good about himself. He knows it wasn’t about him, it was just the wrong decision.
“That’s the second time he has won an appeal now, so hopefully that’s the end of it and it won’t happen again. I’m sure the referees don’t want the publicity and we certainly don’t either.
“It’s frustrating but at least the right conclusion has been reached eventually. We move on but we can’t get the time back, the games back or the potential extra points back.
“I was gobsmacked at the weekend, just as I was against Ayr, to see a red card come out for something as innocuous as that. Hopefully referees will take a little more time about those sorts of decisions.”
