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HIBS manager Neil Lennon has escaped without any further punishment after being sent to the stand during Friday night’s 1-0 win over Dundee United.
The Easter Road head coach was dismissed from his technical area by referee Don Robertson in the closing stages of a potentially key victory for his side in the Championship title race.
Lennon saw match-winner Jason Cummings red-carded with 14 minutes remaining for two ‘stupid’ yellow cards in the space of just three minutes and also saw five of his players booked on a feisty night at Tannadice.
The former Celtic boss was a constant presence on the touchline and let off steam too often for the officials’ liking.
Afterwards, he said: “I encroached too many times out of my technical area. Technical areas aren’t big enough for me!
“It’s called emotion, it’s called pressure, it’s called playing the game on the edge.
“So, the referee was right, I’ve got no complaints.”
Lennon, who picked up a five-match European ban – reduced to four on appeal – after being sent to the stand against Brondby in his first competitive game in charge of Hibs, could have been facing a dugout suspension following Friday’s indiscretion.
However, the 45-year-old will face no punishment after SFA compliance officer Tony McGlennan looked into the incident.
An SFA spokesman said: “The compliance officer has reviewed it and Neil Lennon will face no further action. It was felt that being sent to the stand was sufficient.”
JOHN McGINN
Meanwhile, Hibs are set to go into one of their biggest games of the season without talismanic midfielder John McGinn following his Scotland call-up.
The 22-year-old has been drafted into Gordon Strachan’s squad for the forthcoming friendly against Canada and the crucial World Cup qualifier against Slovenia.
Hibs host nearest Championship challengers Falkirk on Saturday, March 25, with Scotland taking on the Slovenians at Hampden the following day, just four days after facing Canada at Easter Road.
It means the former St Mirren man will be unable to play for his club in a match that could help decide the destination of the title.
The scenario mirrors that of back in November when Scotland faced England the same weekend as Hibs played Falkirk.
But on that occasion McGinn was left out of the 3-0 Friday night defeat at Wembley and played for his club in their 1-1 draw with Falkirk the following day.
McGinn is understood to have been one of three in the Hibs side being watched by Sunderland boss Davie Moyes at Tannadice on Friday night.
With the Black Cats enjoying a free weekend, Moyes travelled north and is said to have been running the rule over McGinn, Cummings and on-loan Celtic defender Efe Ambrose.
