The sending off wasn’t harsh at all. Their player was a stride away from getting the ball for what would have been an obvious goal scoring opportunity & Naismith pulled him back. Nailed on red.
How come, in the previous two weeks that neither the Bolton or Blackburn player who fouled the last man in the box and conceded a penalty was not even booked ?[/quote]
It’s never been part of the laws that it’s a sending off if it’s the “last man” – it has to be denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. From memory Grigg at Bolton wasn’t as he was in no position to have an attempt at goal
With the Blackburn one, Mutty’s right – the laws were changed at the start of last season so if the foul is accidental and denies an obvious goal scoring opportunity then it isn’t a mandatory red. For that one the guy tripped over his own feet & caught our player as he was falling over.
In both instances therefore it should only have been a caution if it met the criteria for issuing one (reckless, cynical etc..). Giving away a penalty on its own isn’t an automatic caution even if some refs seem to give em for challenges that in any other area they wouldn’t have (which winds me up)
