to serve a ban? |
Wilnis has since protested his innocence and Royle has backed his defender, in saying that the club will appeal against the decision.
Although Lewis Price saved the resultant penalty, Town were always at a disadvantage with ten men, after they had started the brighter of the two teams.
Royle today told the club website that after watching video replays they didn't think Fabian had prevented a goal-scoring oppourtunity: "We will be appealing on the grounds that Fabian wasn't denying a goalscoring opportunity.
"We can have no argument that Fabian's arm did go across Jerome, although there was minimal, if any, contact and certainly not enough to warrant the player going down in the dramatic fashion he did.
"But we have looked at the video and when Fabian makes the challenge, Lewis Price would have got to the ball before Jerome. He was in control of the ball and therefore we believe that it wasn't a goalscoring opportunity for the striker."
The incident is reminicenent of Sito's early sending off against bitter rivals Norwich, back in September. On that occassion the club's appeal against the red card was successful and it was upturned by a panel. The consequneces of the poor decision, however, could not be upturned as Town came out of the derby with no points.