Jim Jefferies opts to appeal Kingston sending-off

Kingston was sent off in the second half of the match at Pittodrie for a challenge on Fraser Fyvie. Hearts manager Jim Jefferies said the case called to mind Hibs midfielder Liam Miller's sending-off against Motherwell. That red card was rescinded last week.

"I have looked at the challenge from every angle today and at all times Larry's eyes are on the ball, so I feel it definitely merits an appeal," Jefferies told the club's website. "I don't think there was anything intentional about the tackle.

"Their player might have made a meal of it as he was up running about like a two-year-old afterwards, and there might have been an element of crowd influence, too. But I saw the incident with Liam Miller of Hibs and he rightly had his red card rescinded, so I am hoping for common sense in Larry's situation as well."

Jefferies faces an anxious wait before selecting his team to play Dundee United on Sunday after learning that centre-halves Marius Zaliukas and Dawid Kucharski will miss the match because of a hamstring and a groin injury respectively.

Ismael Bouzid, Zaliukas' usual partner in the heart of defence, is back in training after missing four games with a pulled hamstring, and at present Jefferies can do no more than hope he will be fit.