Falkirk 1-1 Hibs

Hibs earned a hard fought for point in Falkirk during which there were nine bookings and three sendings off.

In all honesty there was not a bad challenge in the game and all 3 sendings off were on the harsh side.

Clayton Donaldson had opened the scoring for Hibs after only 4 minutes when he converted a penalty after he himself had been fouled. His celebration of running to the support earned him a booking from referee Willie Collum.

The game itself wasn't helped by the swirling wind within the Falkirk stadium and any football was difficult. The game suffered not only from an incompetent referee but also the gusty winds.

Hibs have been praised for their free flowing football in the past but sadly this season it has failed to appear in any game. The players look fit but unable to play the passing game wanted by manager John Collins and dare I say they look confused as to what their exact roles are. Maybe so many new players will take time to gel properly.

Donaldson was sent off seven minutes shy of half time for his second yellow card after what appeared to be a good challenge on Steven Thomson and clearly won the ball. Collum however saw it differently and sent the big man off.

All in all this was as dour a game as Hibs have been involved in for a while and the performances over the season so far have been disappointing. Truth is Steven Fletcher almost stole the points for Hibees with a back post header with 15 minutes remaining - only a terrific save denied him - but a victory would only have papered over the cracks.

Not the upbeat report Sir Eski Kanka wanted, I dare say he will disapprove of negative comments against the referee however not for the first time a poor ref has spoiled what should be an entertaining game.

Celtic up next Sunday at Easter Road, hope to be more jolly in my report.