FYSSAS CLEARED

GREEK defender Takis Fyssas was last night cleared of the red card Hearts blame for their defeat in the title crunch with Celtic.

Fyssas, left, was sent packing by blundering ref Iain Brines for a foul on Shaun Maloney 15 minutes form the end of the Ne'erday showdown, with Hearts clinging on to a 2-1 lead. The Parkhead men went on to ram home their numerical advantage with two late goals to snatch victory and open a seven-point gap.

Hearts reacted furiously, with owner Vladimir Romanov, manager Graham Rix and keeper Craig Gordon all adamant Brines got it wrong. Yesterday the SFA's video review panel were forced to admit Fyssas should never have been dismissed.

Team-mate Paul Hartley will, however, face a charge of misconduct for swinging a boot at Celtic full-back Ross Wallace.

While Hartley will face a certain ban, Hearts -and Romanov in particular - are likely to be even further riled by the SFA's admission that Brines got it wrong.

Last night the Edinburgh club released a short statement saying: "We are pleased with the outcome of the appeal and feel the player has been fully vindicated. Takis is now looking forward to taking his place in the team for the game at Dunfermline this weekend."

Taken from the Daily Record