Kingston sorry for racist slur

... but he still faces 2-game ban
HEARTS star Laryea Kingston has apologised for calling referee Steve Conroy a racist.

But the Ghana midfielder will still be counted out of his first Edinburgh derby after his double dismissal at Pittodrie.

Kingston was given his marching orders after 63 minutes of his side's 1-0 defeat for two yellow cards. He was also called to the referee's room after the game and told he was being reported for aggressive and insulting language after calling the whistler a racist.

His double caution cost him an immediate one-match ban and rules him out of the game against Dundee United at Tynecastle this weekend. But Conroy's report will land at the SFA this morning and the additional additional punishment, the equivalent of a red card, will also rule him out of the trip to face Hibs at Easter Road on April 1.
Kingston could still be reported to the SFA's disciplinary committee, which meets on May 1, and be hammered further for his comments.
To top it all, he now finds himself just two bookings away from an additional one-match ban. Kingston was full of remorse last night as he apologised to Conroy, whose wife is black, for his outburst.
He said: "I am extremely sorry for events of Saturday. While I am still disappointed at the decision of the second yellow card I must express sincere regret for the comment I made at the referee.
"It was completely out of character and is in no way part of my make-up.
"I will, at the earliest opportunity, apologise to Mr Conroy, as I feel I over reacted and I would hope that my record since coming to Scotland andmy future conduct will demonstrate I am only interested in playing top-class, but fair, football.
"I feel I have a duty to represent Heart of Midlothian, its fans and indeed Scottish football in the best light. This is something I'm striving for."
Loan star Kingston, who missed last year's World Cup after copping a fourmatch ban for his national team, insisted he meant no malice at the second yellow card as he clattered Barry Nicholson with ahigh challenge.
He added: "I meant no malice to the Aberdeen player and I was aiming to make alegitimate challenge.
"I feel that my own game was entirely in the spirit of fair play and my actions before this provide evidence of my respect for the opposition, their players and the game in general.
"For example, on at least two occasions, after an Aberdeen player had been injured, on receipt of our throw-in I returned the ball directly to their keeper.
I believe that all games should be played in this spirit." Hearts stand-in boss Anatoly Korobochka has also apologised for the actions of the midfielder, who is on loan from Russian side Terek Grozny, and said they were out of character.
Korobochka said: "I apologise for Larry Kingston's actions, but it doesn't say anything about him as a person. It was about emotion which over-spilled.
"Having spoken to him today this will hopefully not be repeated. If he was on the pitch we could have had a different result."
The defeat at the Dons has dented the Jambos' hopes of securing back-to-back European qualification for only the second time since 1960.
Korobochka, handed the head coach's position on an interim basis in the continued absence of Valdas Ivanauskas on other "football business" for club owner Vladimir Romanov, insists European football next season can still be achieved.
He added: "We will fight until the end for that qualification place."

... but he still faces 2-game ban
HEARTS star Laryea Kingston has apologised for calling referee Steve Conroy a racist.

But the Ghana midfielder will still be counted out of his first Edinburgh derby after his double dismissal at Pittodrie.

Kingston was given his marching orders after 63 minutes of his side's 1-0 defeat for two yellow cards. He was also called to the referee's room after the game and told he was being reported for aggressive and insulting language after calling the whistler a racist.

His double caution cost him an immediate one-match ban and rules him out of the game against Dundee United at Tynecastle this weekend. But Conroy's report will land at the SFA this morning and the additional additional punishment, the equivalent of a red card, will also rule him out of the trip to face Hibs at Easter Road on April 1.
Kingston could still be reported to the SFA's disciplinary committee, which meets on May 1, and be hammered further for his comments.
To top it all, he now finds himself just two bookings away from an additional one-match ban. Kingston was full of remorse last night as he apologised to Conroy, whose wife is black, for his outburst.
He said: "I am extremely sorry for events of Saturday. While I am still disappointed at the decision of the second yellow card I must express sincere regret for the comment I made at the referee.
"It was completely out of character and is in no way part of my make-up.
"I will, at the earliest opportunity, apologise to Mr Conroy, as I feel I over reacted and I would hope that my record since coming to Scotland andmy future conduct will demonstrate I am only interested in playing top-class, but fair, football.
"I feel I have a duty to represent Heart of Midlothian, its fans and indeed Scottish football in the best light. This is something I'm striving for."
Loan star Kingston, who missed last year's World Cup after copping a fourmatch ban for his national team, insisted he meant no malice at the second yellow card as he clattered Barry Nicholson with ahigh challenge.
He added: "I meant no malice to the Aberdeen player and I was aiming to make alegitimate challenge.
"I feel that my own game was entirely in the spirit of fair play and my actions before this provide evidence of my respect for the opposition, their players and the game in general.
"For example, on at least two occasions, after an Aberdeen player had been injured, on receipt of our throw-in I returned the ball directly to their keeper.
I believe that all games should be played in this spirit." Hearts stand-in boss Anatoly Korobochka has also apologised for the actions of the midfielder, who is on loan from Russian side Terek Grozny, and said they were out of character.
Korobochka said: "I apologise for Larry Kingston's actions, but it doesn't say anything about him as a person. It was about emotion which over-spilled.
"Having spoken to him today this will hopefully not be repeated. If he was on the pitch we could have had a different result."
The defeat at the Dons has dented the Jambos' hopes of securing back-to-back European qualification for only the second time since 1960.
Korobochka, handed the head coach's position on an interim basis in the continued absence of Valdas Ivanauskas on other "football business" for club owner Vladimir Romanov, insists European football next season can still be achieved.
He added: "We will fight until the end for that qualification place."