Alan Stubbs delivered a stinging condemnation of Willie Collum after Hibs 2-0 defeat to Sevco at Easter Road.
The result keeps alive Stuart McCall’s hopes of finishing in second place but the outcome of the match hinged on one blunder from Collum.
Trailing 1-0 at half-time Hibs were pushing Sevco back in the chase for an equaliser when the Ibrox side broke up the park.
After losing control of the ball Lee Wallace lunged in dangerously at Hibs defender Paul Hanlon, with most players expecting a foul to Hibs and probable booking for Wallace the ball broke to Kenny Miller who netted from 15 yards out.
Collum suffered the embarrassment of seeing back-to-back red cards to Kenny McLean and Stephen McManus overturned in the successive games at the turn of the year and found himself under more criticism from Stubbs.
“I’ve been in management a short time, I was player a long time,” the Hibs boss stated. “Over the years, that decision would be given 100 per cent of the time. I think that’s probably the best way to describe it without me getting into trouble.
“Not 90 per cent, not 99 per cent – 100 per cent but a guy who has an influence over a game decided differently.
“He’s there to get the big calls right and he got a big call very, very wrong.
“Everyone in the stadium could see it was a foul. There’s no way you can dress it up, it was a foul, Paul was caught after he cleared the ball and in the laws of the game it was a foul.
“It spoiled the game, although obviously not from Rangers’ point of view.
“We were on top at the time and had Rangers pinned back. We weren’t necessarily creating clear-cut chances but the momentum was building and it was a hug blow to be stopped in our tracks like that.
“However, it won’t affect our season or what we want to do. We move on.”
Hibs lead over Sevco has been cut to three points with the League One champions having a game in hand- at home to champions Hearts.
