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Hibs will send a delegation to Hampden on Thursday as the club attempt to have defender Darren McGregor’s controversial red card from the fiery clash against Morton overturned.
Easter Road head of football operations George Craig has previously led appeal cases and is again expected to face the Scottish FA panel.
The club are remaining tight-lipped on whether McGregor will make a personal appearance, but given that the likes of John McGinn and Marvin Bartley both attended the national stadium to successfully have red cards downgraded in the past two seasons, the former Rangers player is expected to make the journey west.
McGregor was shown a straight red card by referee Nick Walsh during injury-time in last Wednesday’s goal-less draw with Championship promotion rivals Morton for allegedly head-butting Ton striker Kudus Oyenuga.
Hibs centre-half McGregor, who is facing a two-match ban if found guilty, was furious that Oyenuga, who was also sent-off, recklessly threw himself into a challenge on Jordon Forster. After McGregor confronted the Ton player, Oyenuga fell to the ground clutching his face.
Oyenuga’s dangerous tackle sparked a mass melee and Hibs head coach Neil Lennon and Morton manager Jim Duffy had to be kept about during the scuffle.
After the game, Lennon’s accused Oyenuga of feigning a head-butt in what he described as an ‘act of cowardice’.
Despite Lennon’s assertion, Scottish FA compliance officer Tony McGlennan decided there was not enough evidence to charge Oyenuga with a breach of rule 201, causing a match official to make an incorrect decision by committing an act of simulation.
Even though the Morton forward will not face any action, Hibs are still hopeful of clearing McGregor’s name.
The fall out from the game goes beyond the incident involving McGregor as compliance officer McGlennan charged Lennon, Duffy and Ton assistant manager Craig McPherson with misconduct under disciplinary rule 203 on Tuesday.
The two clubs are also in the dock for a breach of rule 204 and the cases are due to be heard at Hampden on April 20.
