Ex-refs chief shares Hearts' appeal chances after Stuart Findlay red card vs Aberdeen

Hearts face an uphill battle in their quest to appeal Stuart Findlay's late red card against Aberdeen at the Pittodrie Stadium.

That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that the 30-year-old defender is unlikely to be available for the next game.

Wouter Vrancken's side were minutes from claiming their first win of the Scottish Premiership campaign, only to return to Tynecastle Park empty-handed.

Oisin McEntee's first-half strike was cancelled out by Kevin Nisbet in the 90th minute, only for the Aberdeen striker to net his second five minutes later.

The 29-year-old had the chance to strike from the penalty spot after Toyosi Olusanya was brought down inside the area by Hearts' No.17.

Upon reviewing the footage, Hackett initially accused Olusanya of going to ground too easily, and while he still holds that view, the former referee has some bad news for the Jambos.

Keith Hackett 'not surprised' by appeal, but it's unlikely to be successful

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett suggested that referee David Dickinson got this one right, and that Hearts' appeal could fall upon deaf ears.

He said: "Firstly, I am not surprised that Hearts have appealed the red card. To meet the law requirements for DOGSO, the following must be considered..."

"The distance between the offence and the goal, the general direction of play, the likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball, and the location and number of defenders at attackers.

"So, Hearts have to prove without any doubt, did the Hearts player commit a foul? The Hearts player used his arm illegally on the forward, which impacted on the Aberdeen player.

"Did the Hearts player make a genuine attempt to play the ball? There was no challenge for the ball. Therefore, if Hearts were thinking it was double jeopardy, they are wrong.

"Did the Aberdeen player go to ground easily? Yes, but it was a reaction to his opponent making contact with him. It was a foul before the forward's exaggeration going to ground.

"If the Aberdeen player had not been fouled inside the penalty area, he would have had the opportunity for a shot at goal.

"I am satisfied that the actions of the Hearts player was to commit a foul, and in doing so, denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

"The referee has made the correct call and should have consulted with a former referee in Scotland before making their appeal. In my opinion, DOGSO criterion has been fulfilled, and the referee has made the right call."

Who could Hearts face without Stuart Findlay?

Had the Jam Tarts just accepted Findlay's one-match suspension, he would have been unavailable for a tough test against Dundee United at Tynecastle.

Of course, he would still be able to feature in Hearts' huge clash with Benfica in the Europa League qualification stages on Thursday, 6 August.

The club clearly feel, however, that there are grounds to dismiss the red card, which had such a key impact in the game against Aberdeen at the weekend.

Should the appeal be rejected, Findlay may even have to miss the League Cup clash with Inverness CT, though Hearts will be expected to win either way.