Steven McLean handed out yellow cards to Lee Ashcroft and Nigel Hasselbaink despite watching both players trade punches and head-butts in the Kilmarnock v Hamilton Accies match on Saturday.
In his first fixture since his abysmal display in the Celtic v Inverness Caley Thistle Scottish Cup semi-final the highly rated whistler failed to hand out the proper punishments which would have seen both players red carded.
McLean was demoted down to fourth official following his Hampden horror show but turned in another sub-standard display at Rugby Park.
Even without the multiple camera angles, which weren’t needed to show that he had a clear view of Josh Meekings handling Leigh Griffiths header, it was clear to almost everyone in the main stand that Ashcroft and Hasselbaink should have been shown red cards.
The incident happened close to the dug-out’s with both managers keen to play the incident down fearing suspensions in the closing matches of the season.
Video evidence shows Ashcroft throwing a punch at the striker who retaliates by trying to head-butt the Killie defender despite being about a foot shorter than Ashcroft.
Hamilton boss Martin Canning said: “I thought it was a foul for Nigel first of all, he was about to run away and the boy has pulled him back.
“There was a wee coming together and to be honest the fourth official crossed my path and I didn’t see what caused all the uproar.”
Gary Locke of Kilmarnock added: “It was disappointing to see, something out of nothing.”
It remains to be seen if SFA Compliance Officer Tony McGlennan applies for further disciplinary action on the OFFENCE despite the referee viewing the INCIDENT.
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