St Johnstone pair suspended after alleged tunnel fight as Wright threatens severe punishment

St Johnstone have announced that they have suspended Danny Swanson and Richard Foster pending an investigation into an alleged fight between the team-mates on Saturday.

The players brawled as they headed down the tunnel at half-time of their 1-0 Scottish Premiership defeat to Hamilton Academical at SuperSeal Stadium, according to local reports.

The incident prompted a fracas involving players and coaches from both clubs and the referee sent off Swanson and Foster in the aftermath.

St Johnstone released a statement in which they confirmed: "Following the incident in today's match against Hamilton Academical FC, the club wishes to advise that players Danny Swanson and Richard Foster have been suspended pending a full and thorough investigation into the matter.

"The club also wishes to make it clear that, contrary to some reports, no player or member of staff has been spoken to or interviewed by Police Scotland."

Manager Tommy Wright said he had not seen what happened but vowed to issue severe punishments if the alleged fight took place.

"I haven't seen it with my own eyes but obviously something happened," he told BBC Scotland.

"I'm going to wait and see for myself. The players have been told they let themselves down, and let the team down. We should be celebrating confirming our top-six place tonight.

"Under no circumstance will they get off lightly if what is alleged to have happened has happened. The referee sent them off for violent conduct and he feels it was the right decision.

"The hardest punishment I can do legally with them, I'll do it."

St Johnstone, who stay fourth in the table, held on in the second half with nine men until Alexandre D'Akol struck an 89th-minute winner.