Dunfermline have submitted an appeal for wrongful dismissal following Graham Dorrans’ red card against Hamilton.
The former Scotland and Dundee midfielder was given his marching orders by referee David Munro after being adjudged to have blocked a goal-bound Marley Redfern shot with his arm.
David Moyo converted the subsequent penalty kick and it proved to be the deciding moment of Saturday’s 1-0 victory for Accies.
However, subsequent footage appears to show the ball striking Dorrans square in the chest, explaining why the Pars skipper was visibly incredulous as he trudged from the pitch at the Fountain of Youth Stadium.
🎥 The only goal from yesterday's 1-0 defeat away to Hamilton. pic.twitter.com/hN1cWGFo1y
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) December 5, 2021
Clubs have until 3 p.m. on Monday to indicate their intention to appeal and must then submit evidence to the Scottish FA by 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
But Courier Sport has learned that Pars chiefs wasted no time in officially lodging the appeal.
Video evidence was submitted on Monday morning and will be assessed by a Scottish FA disciplinary panel later this week.
Dunfermline are privately confident the decision will be rescinded, given the clarity of the footage — allowing Dorrans to play against Queen of the South on Saturday.
Speaking immediately after the defeat against Accies, but having seen a replay of the decision, boss John Hughes rued: “For the referee to give a penalty and say it hit his hand? He must have been guessing.
“He’s guessing; he’s miles off it.
“You are expecting better than that. That’s why they are there. You have to get that right. We deserve a bit better than that.
“I spoke to him [the referee] and he said, ‘you’ve had the opportunity to look at it’. I said, ‘okay, but what were you looking at, thinking it was a hand-ball? You’re making it up.’”
