The article suggested the referee made it ‘12 against nine’ after two Aberdeen players were ordered off.

Mark McGhee, Aberdeen’s manager, was measured in his analysis of the incidents which led to Maurice Ross and Chris Maguire being shown red cards, but critical, though not severely, of Ian Murray’s challenge on Fraser Fyvie, the 16-year-old midfielder who is out for up to six weeks with ankle ligament damage as a result of the tackle.

But the club’s website went for Mr Nicholls’ jugular yesterday, claiming in an unsigned article titled ‘Dons appeal for common sense’, that he was “blindly determined to stamp his authority right from the off – even though both sides were attempting to encourage a passing game – with the inevitable scenario of five yellow cards brandished by the interval and hardly a strong tackle made throughout the 45 minutes”.

The rant claimed the “antics of the man in the middle” led to what started as a fair contest “almost descending into farce”. It continued: “When cards are being dished out like confetti , players become afraid to make tackles for fear of reprisal, and that’s exactly what occurred in Edinburgh.

“Nine against 11 (perhaps make that 12) for the best part of half an hour means an unequal situation and one that is cheating the fans who pay good money to watch a competitive and balanced encounter.”

“The sending off of a player should be a last resort not, what it appeared to be against Hibs, something the referee seemed hell bent on achieving almost straight from the kick-off.

“And if match officials are being given little or no leeway to adopt a common sense approach, then that needs to be seriously looked at by the powers that be, and sooner rather than later.”

Earlier this year, Hearts were fined £20,000 over criticism of referee Dougie McDonald in their official website’s match report on their Scottish Cup defeat by Falkirk. The comments triggered a suspended fine from two years earlier.

Meanwhile, McGhee, not happy that he will be without Fyvie for some weeks, said the youngster’s lack of experience was partially responsible for his injury.

“I said it was an over-robust challenge,” he said, “as I felt the boy was entitled to win the ball but there are two things about what happened.

“A more experienced player or a more cowardly one would have jumped six feet in the air when he saw it coming. But Fraser’s inexperience or naivety if you like means he didn’t protect himself or ride the tackle the way others would have.

“As far as the lad making the tackle is concerned I think you have to question the fact that he would know he could win the ball but there was a danger of him injuring Fyvie. We hear the PFA all the time talking about members respecting each other and stuff and I’m not quite sure it was quite as necessary to hurt Fyvie the way he did and still win the ball.

“I’m not sure it was a foul but in the spirit of the game towards each other there was no need to injure him.”