Frustrated Brian Rice knows Hamilton had no choice but to appeal Jamie Hamilton’s red card.
The head coach was fuming when Craig Napier sent his young defender off in the first half of their 2-0 defeat at Hibs at the weekend, for a challenge on Martin Boyle.
Rice refused to criticise the officials after the game but after reviewing video footage is even more adamant that Hamilton won the ball.
Rice said: “I am not saying anything about the officials because I am still really, really angry at a couple of the decisions that went against us at the weekend.
“We, however, have decided to appeal Jamie’s red card.
“The television footage and photographs show that Jamie won the ball.
“We can see Jamie won the ball and Martin Boyle pulled out of it.
“So we have appealed it and we hope that justice will be done and the red card will be overturned.”
It has been a tough few days for the teenage defender. Rice is confident that he will come through the other side of this experience a better and stronger character.
Rice stated: “It is difficult for him. He has been really, really unfortunate.
“Jamie is a good young player and he is certainly not a dirty player. He has just become a victim of circumstance. What has happened will make him stronger.”
There was even more irony at the weekend when SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell had to issue an apology to Accies and Hibs because assistant referee Graeme Stewart should have been self-isolating.
He was part of the Scottish team who took charge of the recent Panathinaikos vs Olympiakos game.
Assistant David Roome returned a positive when he came back from the trip and as a result referee Bobby Madden and Stewart should have gone straight into self-isolation.
The SFA switched Madden from Sunday’s Ross County v Celtic game at the last minute and that was when they issued their apology.
Rice refused to comment on that front and admitted it was a matter for Accies chiefs.
He stated: “The isolation has nothing to do with me and I can’t talk about that.”
Meanwhile, Accies will send striker Marius Ogkmpoe for a scan today (Tues) on his injured hamstring. Rice also hopes to get the results back from defender Aaron Martin’s scan on his foot issue.
“We hope by Wednesday we will have a clear indication of everything,” Rice confirmed. “I hope they will both be okay and it will be nothing too serious.”
