Dundee United manager Peter Houston pointed the finger of blame at Danny Swanson for costing his side victory by getting himself sent off at Easter Road on Wednesday night.
It was a crazy red card or more accurately two yellows, with the first caution coming just after his arrival on the park as a substitute, dished out for a flying tackle on Hibs player Danny Galbraith.
The second was awarded for a daft handball as a Barry Douglas free-kick reached the back post and was clearly going out for a goal kick to Hibs.
It was real shame because, just when it was expected United would be worried about rust going into this game given they had not played since November 20 at Celtic Park it was more about polish and smooth finishes in a thrilling first half that they dominated.
Indeed, they started superbly, with David Goodwillie firing them in front after just one minute and 25 seconds, then the striker adding an excellent second on 35 minutes.
Hibs received a lifeline just before half-time when Sol Bamba pulled one back, then came Swanson’s moments of madness.
Late Hibs pressure was finally rewarded by Paul Hanlon’s 89th-minute leveller when short-handed United were pinned back.
It was no surprise that Houston had a go at Swanson, who can be one of the most talented players at Tannadice when he puts his mind to it.
“I am disappointed and frustrated with Danny,” said Houston.Aggression”He is a wonderful young talent and great footballer. I don’t mind players having aggression but it needs to be controlled and you can’t, after 30 seconds, get yourself a deserved yellow card. You can’t go flying into tackles like that.”
He continued, “The sooner Danny grows up and learns then the better it is for me because all the favours between him and me are one-way just now.
“I want Danny Swanson on the park because he did us a right good turn last season and was fantastic for us.
“But he is no use to us when he gets himself sent off.
“You look at the second one and the ball was going miles out the park.
“We have all done it in games, put your hand up, but nowadays you know it is a booking and I had no complaints about that decision either.
“He naturally feels he has let the boys down and I think he has let them down as well.
Hibs gaffer Colin Calderwood seemed satisfied with a draw, saying, “We have gained a point from a very tricky situation let’s make no mistake about that.
“After the second goal went in it was a horrible experience but it was character-building for everybody.”
With Garry Kenneth suspended and injury having sidelined Darren Dods, Scott Severin and Mihael Kovacevic, United boss Houston turned to striker Jon Daly to play in central defence alongside Sean Dillon.
Daly for Kenneth was the only change from the starting line-up at Parkhead all those weeks ago and they went with a five-man midfield, with Goodwillie on his own in attack.
You got the feeling there would be no middle ground with the Tangerines after their lay-off.
They were either going to start sluggishly or come out flying and it was the latter that was the case as they took the lead with a mere minute and 25 seconds on the clock.
Johnny Russell picked the ball up inside the centre circle then passed forward for Goodwillie.
The Scotland man still had plenty of work to do but he collected the ball brilliantly, ran on a couple of paces then slotted a low shot past goalkeeper Mark Brown from 15 yards.
United were in the mood and came within the width of the woodwork of making it two on 10 minutes when Daly, up for Barry Douglas’s corner, nodded the cross against the Hibs bar.
The visitors seemed able to cut open the home defence easily and they came close again on 20 minutes when Keith Watson picked out Russell with a delivery from the left but the wee man could not get his header on target.
Hibs at last tested United goalie Dusan Pernis two minutes later when Derek Riordan fired the ball across goal but the Slovakian international’s hands were steady.
A long ball from Paul Dixon then stretched Hibernian again and Russell ran on then cracked his shot against the crossbar before realising he had been flagged for offside.TerrificPernis saved again from Riordan as the game continued at a terrific tempo, before Hibs midfielder Lewis Stevenson picked up the first booking of the game on 31 minutes for chopping down Scott Robertson.
The Tannadice men were looking sharp and it was no surprise when they added a second on 35 minutes and the goal was a post-Christmas cracker.
With the home defence struggling again, Dixon flew down the left wing before blasting the ball low into the six-yard-box.
Waiting there was Goodwillie, who produced a back-flick that any Brazilian would have been proud of to redirect the ball into the gaping net and leave Brown bewildered.
It had all gone so well for Houston’s men but they committed the cardinal sin of conceding a goal just before half-time.
A Riordan freekick, conceded by Dillon, looked to be sneaking into the top corner before Pernis made a great save, only for the United number one to look on helplessly as Bamba followed up to nod home from close range to make it 2-1 to the visitors at the break.
The home side made a half-time substitution popular among their fans, bringing on Merouane Zemmama for David Wotherspoon and the combination of that and the goal seemed to revive Hibs, who started the second period the stronger.
Indeed, United were rocking and Dixon did well to block a Riordan shot from close range on 58 minutes.
Swanson came on for Russell on 61 minutes and, without touching the ball, managed to get himself booked for a terrible tackle on Galbraith.PressurePrince Buaben seemed to have a great chance to ease the pressure on United but the midfielder, who had become a new father at the weekend, headed over and was deemed to be offside anyway.
The visitors were gradually getting back to their composed selves but their task was made all the harder by an act of folly from sub Swanson.
With 77 minutes on the clock, Douglas swung in a freekick from the left which was missed by everyone bar Swanson, who inexplicably handled the ball before it went out of play.
The midfielder was flashed first a second yellow and then a red by ref Euan Norris, thus guaranteeing his teammates an extra tough closing spell.
Dixon cleared his own post by a few inches then Watson did exactly the same thing with the other upright as they tried to cling on for victory.
However, with just under two minutes of regulation time remaining they finally caved in, with a Galbraith cross fired into the net by the boot of Hanlon.
With four minutes of time to be added on, Hibs were throwing everything at United and Pernis was the hero when he dived to his left to punch away a Riordan free-kick.
Attendance: 10,252 (double check with PA)
Hibernian: Brown, Hart, Murray (Duffy 80), De Graaf, Galbraith, Hanlon, Stevenson (Miller 80), Dickoh, Bamba, Riordan, Wotherspoon (Zemmama 46). Subs not used: Smith, Rankin, Nish, McBride.
Dundee Utd: Pernis, Dillon, Dixon, S. Robertson (Cadamarteri 85), Daly, Buaben, Gomis, Douglas, Watson, Goodwillie, Russell (Swanson 61). Subs not used: Banks, Shala, D. Robertson, Smith, Armstrong.Referee: Euan Smith.