Hibs striker Marc McNulty 'faces SFA probe' over Sean Clare stamp

Marc McNulty could face retrospective action from the Scottish FA following his stamp on Hearts midfielder Sean Clare during last night’s Edinburgh derby.

The two players were involved in an incident on the touchline during the first half of Hearts’ 3-1 win, with the Hibs striker appearing to stand on Clare’s back as he lay on the ground.

Video footage later showed the on-loan Reading forward clearly stamping on the 23-year-old, leaving him writhing in pain in front of the East Stand, and with match referee Kevin Clancy taking no action at the time, the Association’s compliance officer Clare Whyte could issue McNulty with a notice of complaint.

BT Sport pundit Chris Sutton said at the time: “How McNulty never saw red for a stamp when in full view of the ref is beyond me… another refereeing shocker in Scotland.”

Speaking after the match, Clare told the Evening News: “ I felt like it was a stamp at the time and I’ll let people make their minds up.

“There were enough cameras there. I said to the ref I thought it was a stamp. I haven’t seen it myself but I have been told it’s not great.

“If people see it they see it, it’s not for me to decide whatever it is. In the end, it was irrelevant to the result.”

McNulty is likely to be offered a two-match ban, ruling him out of Saturday’s trip to Aberdeen and the home game against St Johnstone on March 14.