Falkirk confirm appeal against Alfredo Agyeman's red card as BBC Scotland pundits slam 'really poor decision'

The winger was ordered off by card-happy referee Matthew MacDermid, levelling up both teams with Thistle having played for an hour with ten men after Stuart Bannigan’s second yellow. The Bairns eventually lost 2-1 after Terry Ablade’s 98th-minute winner.

With 82 minutes on the clock, Agyeman overran the ball but adjudged to have caught Robbie Crawford on the edge of the Thistle box. However, replays clearly show the Falkirk ace winning the ball and passing it on to his team-mate Aidan Nesbitt.

Manager John McGlynn said post-match that the club would appeal the decision and that was confirmed this afternoon.

A Bairns spokesperson said: “We have informed the Scottish FA of our intention to appeal Alfredo Agyeman's red card received at Partick Thistle on Friday night. We will submit evidence to the SFA judicial review panel and fans will be informed as soon as there is an outcome.”

BBC Scotland pundits say Alfredo Agyeman red card call was influenced by Partick Thistle players

“That’s not a red card for me,” was the verdict of former Scotland hero James McFadden on commentary duty for BBC Scotland. “There isn’t enough in that - you see the reaction of the Partick Thistle players. That contact for me doesn’t warrant a red card. The reaction from the Thistle players has played a part - which it shouldn’t.”

Fellow pundit Leanne Crighton added post-match: “It is a really poor decision to me. James (McFadden) was actually kind on commentary. Where is the reason for Matthew MacDermid to produce a red card? For me, it is the furthest thing from it. He won the ball. Matthew has been really reactive to what has gone on around him. At that stage you do try to level things off. I don’t think you can afford to get that one wrong.”

Speaking after the defeat, McGlynn reckoned the red card call was “influenced” and that the incident “wasn’t even a foul”.

“It wasn’t even a foul. Alfie won the ball clean and there was no attempt to injure the player, he never caught the player, he took the ball. The player has actually ran made contact with Alfie. It is a poor decision by the referee. He was probably influenced part from the Thistle players, part influenced by a situation where one team is playing with ten men and the referee takes the easy option to even it up and send somebody else off. He did even up it up.”

Falkirk have already won a fast-track appeal this season with Dundee loanee Luke Graham having a red card rescinded back in December when he was wrongly sent off for a last-man handball.