John Lundstram's Rangers red card appeal successful as SFA panel downgrade midfielder's punishment

John Lundstram has had his red card against Hibs downgraded to a yellow.

The Rangers midfielder was controversially sent off during Saturday’s Premiership clash at Easter Road by Willie Collum. The Scouser cynically tripped Martin Boyle as the Australian international burst away fro him, and Collum went to his pocket and produced a red.

A similar challenge by home player Jake Doyle-Hayes was only deemed worthy of a yellow by the whistler, which prompted protests from Lundstram ’s teammates. The Gers were reduced to nine men later on after Alfredo Morelos was also sent straight down the tunnel for an elbow on marijan Cabraja. Gio van Bronckhorst' s men led 2-1 at the time thanks to James Tavernier’s penalty and Tom Lawrence's strike either side of Boyle’s equaliser. But Lee Johnson’s side made their two-man advantage count in stoppage time when Josh Campbell fired in a late leveller to deny Rangers all three points.

Van Bronckhorst said after the game that the club were considering an appeal, but would have to be smart about it. That was submitted earlier this week with a fast track disciplinary hearing set to review Lundstram’s case.

The Scottish FA have now announced that after looking at the incident, the panel has decided to downgrade the sending off to a caution, leaving Lundtram free to face Ross County this weekend. The hearing concluded that Lundstram ‘recklessly attempted to trip or attempt to trip an opponent’, which is punishable by a yellow card under cautionable offence 1B1.