Hibs could appeal Miller offence

Hibs can appeal the red card which threatens to rule influential midfield star Liam Miller out of the New Year's Day derby at Tynecastle, the Evening News can reveal today.

The Republic of Ireland ace was sent off in the closing minutes as the Easter Road outfit went down 2-1 to Kilmarnock, referee Craig Thomson ruling his challenge on countryman Conor Sammon as "violent conduct".

Such an offence carries a penalty of 12 points added to the player's disciplinary record in addition to an automatic one-match ban which will see Miller sit out Wednesday night's rearranged game against Hamilton if it beats the weather.

But Miller has already amassed four bookings this season, accumulating 12 points which, should he have another dozen added as a result of the Rugby Park incident, will obviously push him over the disciplinary threshold of 18.

That would trigger a further suspension kicking in 14 days afterwards meaning Miller would sit out the second derby of the season.

Hibs boss Colin Calderwood confessed to being puzzled at Thomson deciding what appeared to be a cynical professional foul, Miller clipping Sammon's heels but failing even to bring his opponent down, was violent conduct rather than the more obvious charge of "denying an opponent a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity."

Even so, it is understood, there are some within Easter Road who question whether Miller was even guilty of the lesser offence with team-mate Francis Dickoh behind him and moving across to meet Sammon.

However, denying a goal-scoring opportunity carries a penalty of five points as opposed to the 12 for violent conduct which would have left Miller banned for the Accies game but available to face Hearts as he'd have been left sitting on 17 points.

SFA rules do allow clubs to challenge a charge of violent conduct and it will be up to Calderwood, the player and club to decide if they feel a challenge would succeed, the manager having said: "I was surprised it was deemed violent conduct."

The 81st minute clash provoked confusion at the time, referee Thomson consulting with his assistant Brian McGarry as to whether the offence took place inside or outside the penalty area before fourth official Thomas Robertson became involved.

However, his part in it all was only to confirm that it was Miller who was the culprit rather than team-mate Jonathan Grounds, Calderwood applauding the officials for their team work in identifying the right player.

Meanwhile, Sol Bamba picked up a hamstring problem against Killie.