MONDAY POLL: Boyd claims Hart attack should have ended in red

Goals from David Silva and Edin Dzeko settled a keenly-fought contest at the KC Stadium in favour of the visitors, who were forced to play with 10 men for 80 minutes following the dismissal of captain Vincent Kompany.

The biggest talking point of the weekend, however, was the second-half clash between Boyd and Hart after the Hull man had gone down under a challenge from England’s No 1. The incensed Blues goalkeeper immediately accused the Hull substitute of diving and clearly moved to headbutt him.

A melee broke out that ended with referee Lee Mason brandishing a yellow card at Hart and offering no punishment to Boyd.

Later, accusations emerged that the Tigers man had spat at Hart with footage from BT Sport suggesting some phlegm had landed on the goalkeeper as the two squared up to each other.

Tigers’ manager Steve Bruce furiously dismissed such suggestions, which were made during both BT Sport’s post-match coverage and BBC1’s Match of the Day.

Instead, he suggested that any spit emanating from Boyd’s mouth came out by accident while the pair were squaring up to each other and shouting.

Hart, for his part, has told insiders at the Etihad Stadium that he did not believe the Hull substitute was guilty of any spitting charge. Indeed, Boyd has revealed that the England goalkeeper apologised to him after the match for the clash that ended with players having to pull the pair apart.

The 28-year-old added: “He (Hart) said afterwards he didn’t touch me (for the penalty) but I thought he touched me a little bit.

“His reaction was a bit over the top afterwards. He has come and, (while) not nutted me, he has put his head in. He should have got sent off really, shouldn’t he? If the referee has given him a yellow card then he has obviously seen something happen and should have given the red.

“Gregsy (Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor) got sent off against Palace (in January for something similar).

“I know he is a ’keeper, but it was a similar sort of reaction so we feel a bit hard done by.”

Hull’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City was the second home league game in a row that had been marred by an unsavoury incident.

Against Newcastle United a fortnight earlier, Alan Pardew had headbutted David Meyler to earn a seven-game ban from the Football Association.

Asked if Pardew’s offence had been similar to that of the England goalkeeper, Boyd replied: “Hart definitely put his head in but I don’t know whether Pardew’s was more of a headbutt.

“He has definitely put his head in and lost his head a bit but they can’t really do anything now, can they? I spoke to him (Hart) afterwards, he said he didn’t touch me (for the penalty) and he apologised for his reaction.”

On the accusation that Boyd had dived in an attempt to win a penalty, Hull manager Bruce added: “Look, George is as honest as they come. He was playing non-league six years ago. I will have a word with George on Monday, but there is a difference.

“If you are a football player and you are in that situation with the goalkeeper hurtling towards you, what are you going to do? Stand there and say, ‘Go on then, whack me’? He has tried to go round the goalkeeper and lost his footing. He has lost his balance trying to get out of the way of the goalkeeper, that is what it was to me.

“I genuinely think the referee got it right. Boydy was going at full tilt, he is expecting to get clattered. To be fair to Joe, he has done what every experienced goalkeeper does, he has pulled himself out of the road.”

Bruce, when asked about the spitting allegations, again backed his player. He said: “No, that is a load of rubbish. He has tried to talk and something has come out. That is what I have seen.

“George Boyd wouldn’t do that, definitely wouldn’t do that.”

Meanwhile, vice chairman Ehab Allam has revealed the club plan to ballot season ticket holders over the controversial plan to re-brand as Hull Tigers.

The FA Council will rule on the matter on April 9, just four days before Hull are due to play Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final.

Allam said: “What matters to me most is the fans, more than the decision from the FA.

“If the FA in April come and say ‘yes’ and the fans said ‘no’, I will take the ‘no’. I don’t force the issue, I go by the fans not the FA.

“If we cannot do it then we walk out and the club will be for sale, we have said this before.”