Treading a fine line

Photo: Alan Howarth

OFF . . . Lee Croft (partially hidden) receives his marching orders from referee John Brooks.

ATHLETIC are facing a headache when it comes to suspensions, after frustrated boss John Sheridan saw two players sent off in a defeat at Walsall.

Lee Croft's early red card and Brian Wilson's late dismissal at the Banks's Stadium means those players incur three-match and one-match bans respectively.

Peter Clarke was also booked for a penalty award disputed by Sheridan and the skipper now sits one yellow card away from a two-game ban - joining midfielder Ollie Banks, absent on Saturday through illness, on that precipice. Both players will avoid that sanction if they are not cautioned against relegation rivals Bury this weekend, with the EFL's yellow card amnesty reached on Sunday, March 12.

Neither red card was doubted by Sheridan, but the manager raged against a non-decision from referee John Brooks when, in the build-up to Erhun Oztumer's 78th-minute penalty, Aaron Amadi-Holloway's shirt was clearly pulled back by Saddlers defender James O'Connor when Athletic were close to the home penalty area.

FLAILING

Paul Green also looked to be caught by a flailing arm in one second-half aerial challenge with Isaiah Osbourne, later retiring from the action due to a head injury, and it left Sheridan contemplating whether former players should be encouraged to take up the whistle.

"It's embarrassing, just embarrassing," Sheridan said. "Do you just stand there and accept it? You can't even have an opinion.

"Sometimes, you have to be careful with how you express that opinion. But it's ridiculous how he has missed (the shirt pull), ridiculous.

"On the penalty Peter Clarke has clearly won the ball. I have always said have ex-footballers in charge. Ex-footballers see what players do on the pitch and how clever they are. Sometimes they will know when a player is trying to get a penalty.

"Clarke made an attempt and he has won the ball.

"With the foul earlier, it means you are at the other end of the pitch with a free-kick. Everyone can see it and everyone knows it's a foul except the three amigos.

"One thing I have in my players is a lot of character and grit. In the second half, we did really well with 10 men and kept them quiet.

"We created opportunities ourselves.

"Then with nine men it's very difficult when they pass the ball, but I still wanted to try to get a draw.

"It wasn't to be and we conceded a second, but I would rather have a go."