Hibs have effectively been kicked out of the Premier Sports Cup after fielding a suspended player in their penalty shoot-out defeat to Morton on Tuesday. Defender Rocky Bushiri played the full 90 minutes of the 1-1 draw despite being banned for the match after picking up two bookings in the previous group stage fixtures, the 1-0 defeat to Falkirk and 4-1 victory over Bonnyrigg Rose.
The SPFL charged the Easter Road side with breaching competition rules – which state an immediate one-match ban applies to players accumulating two cautions before the second round of the Cup.
The club were summoned to a disciplinary hearing on Thursday where SPFL bosses awarded Morton a 3-0 win, while imposing a £5000 fine, £4000 of which is suspended until June 30, 2023 pending any further breaches.
The club was also reprimanded and warned over future conduct. The punishment means Hibs finish on six points in Group D and can no longer qualify for the knock-out stages of the competition having already been on the verge of an embarrassing early elimination following two defeats to lower league opposition.