Double Disappointment Expressed

The Glovers had a welcome bonus this week when we had Byron Webster red card overturned after appeal, meaning he’ll be free to face Sheffield Wednesday this weekend.

Joe Ralls and Kieffer Moore aren’t going to be so fortunate though with both sitting out this SkyBet Championship game with Ralls also missing Ipswich and QPR to follow due to his suspension being a three match ban.

Both have expressed disappointment to Gary Johnson with him telling The Western Gazette that he’s as disappointed, if not more so, than they are.

The Glovers manager admits that Moore was a perhaps a little ‘unfortunate’ but he couldn’t excuse Ralls and his sending off at all as it was ‘rash’ and deserved the straight red card that he got.

‘Of course they’re disappointed. Joe’s was a rash tackle. The player has nicked in front of him and it was definitely a red card anyway.

‘In the Championship players are clever at putting their bodies in the ways of tackles. That was a red card, there was nothing we could do about that.

‘Kieffer’s one was unfortunate. He was deemed to kick the ball away, which I am not sure about but you cannot appeal a yellow card.

‘The other one was a mistimed challenge when he was coming back. It wasn’t malicious, he just clipped him and when he went for the ball the lad got there first.’

Johnson didn’t come out ranting and raving about the sending offs at the time, publicly anyway, as he says he didn’t want to detract from the incredible effort shown by the remaining eight players to ensure we recorded the point at Reading.

We’ll miss both players but having Webster available, and not suspended too, could prove the most important thing going into the Sheffield Wednesday game.