New Derek Adams ban as Colin Nish faces Hibs exit

Hibernian assistant manager Derek Adams will serve another lengthy touchline ban after being given a six-match suspension for being sent to the stand against Motherwell in January.

Adams was serving a six-match ban when he joined Hibs in November, a punishment the former Ross County boss received for clashing with an official on the final game of an eight-match suspension.

He was then reported for foul and abusive language towards referee Alan Muir during a 2-0 defeat at Fir Park on 22 January, although Hibs manager Colin Calderwood later claimed his assistant never swore and had aimed his comments at a Motherwell player.

The incident was the fourth time the former Aberdeen midfielder had been reported by match officials over a three-year period, meaning his situation was automatically discussed by the disciplinary committee. Adams accepted his previous six-match ban following an incident at Ross County's Co-operative Insurance Cup defeat by Dundee United in September. However, he has appealed against an additional four-match punishment for breaching the terms of his initial suspension by being in the tunnel.

Meanwhile, Hibs striker Colin Nish has been told he won't be offered a new contract by the club when his current deal expires this summer.

Aberdeen, St Johnstone, First Division leaders Dunfermline and two unnamed English clubs are said to be keen on the 30-year-old.

News that the former Kilmarnock player has no future at Easter Road won't come as any great surprise to the club's supporters after manager Colin Calderwood gave him the green light to pursue a transfer to Chinese club Tianjin Teda during January.

Nish, who was signed by Mixu Paatelainen in January 2008, even travelled to Cyprus to train with the club but returned to Edinburgh with the aim of landing fresh terms with Hibs.

However, the arrival of strikers Akpo Sodje and Ricardo Vaz Ta in January and February respectively saw Nish fall further down the pecking order.