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The poor man didn't have his best day. Prince Bauben was dismissed for a soft second booking and Swanson's straight red should have been yellow according to Gannon. O'Brien was booked within two minutes of his introduction with the referee pointing here and there suggesting that persistent fouling had earned the caution and the list could go on. Levein even suggested that his own Myrie-Williams should not have stayed on the park.
Our man says that he has already written twice to Hugh Dallas expressing concerns about the quality of the referees and that he has received no reply. The result is this public criticism. We can only hope that he is aware of the likely consequences.
As for the game itself the unanswered question relates to our double substitution in the second half. We were in the lead and fairly comfortable. Lasley is well short of match sharpness and his rustiness gave use a few scares. O'Brien does not seem to be nearly as productive in the centre of the park as he is on the wing yet that was the position he was given. An explanation of the thinking behind those changes would be appreciated.
The remarkable run continues. Eight draws from thirteen starts and only one defeat sees us still fifth in the table but tough games lie ahead. If we are still in the top half after Hibs (a), Celtic (h) and Rangers (a) then we might begin to dream of great things!