Angry Hibs have demanded a response from Hearts after an alleged incident involving one of their players and a fan in the dying minutes of the Derby at Tynecastle in the cinch Premiership which ended 1-1.
On Saturday the club issued a statement on their Twitter feed which claimed that during the game there were a number of incidents but added: “Undoubtedly, the most worrying relates to player safety and spectator involvement.”
The statement alleges that during the second half, when Marijan Cabraja went to retrieve the ball to take a throw in in front of the Wheatfield Stand, he was confronted by several supporters before he was ‘struck’ by a spectator.
Hibs said: “We have shared images, which are clear and conclusive, with senior officials at Hearts and have urged the club to investigate this immediately.
“Serious actions must be taken as player safety on the pitch is paramount and this incident proves that more needs to be done to protect players. This type of behaviour by a supporter of any club is abhorrent.”
Hibs added: “We are awaiting a response from Hearts regarding this incident so that the individual can be detected and the severest of sanctions taken against him.”
Five red cards were issued. Hearts’ defender Alex Cochrane was sent off following a challenge after 28 minutes and four others were issued after an ugly skirmish after the final whistle.
Hibs’ manager Lee Johnson and unused substitute Rocky Bushiri plus Hearts’ unsused substitute goalkeeper Ross Stewart and the club’s goalkeeping coach Paul Gallacher.
The incident overshadowed the game in which Yutaro Oda netted his first goal for the Tynecastle team after seven minutes and Kevin Nisbet levelled after 28 minutes from a free-kick just outside the box awarded after Cochrane’s challenge which saw him dismissed.
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