Jack Ross delivers verdict on Glenn Loovens' red card against Portsmouth and whether Sunderland will appeal

Jack Ross didn't believe Glenn Loovens should have seen red in the 3-1 defeat to Portsmouth but wanted to clarify the double jeopardy wording before deciding whether to appeal
Glenn Loovens is shown a red card in the defeat to Portsmouth.Glenn Loovens is shown a red card in the defeat to Portsmouth.
Glenn Loovens is shown a red card in the defeat to Portsmouth.

The experienced centre back was shown a straight red two minutes into the second half for fouling Oli Hawkins inside the area.

Loovens given his marching orders and Gareth Evans scored the resulting spot-kick, league leaders Pompey going on to win and extend their lead over Sunderland by eight points.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Two years ago changes to the rules were made so that if a player who committed a foul to deny a goalscoring opportunity wouldn't necessarily automatically see red.

Players that commit accidental fouls that deny a goalscoring chance should be cautioned instead but deliberate fouls would still incur a red card - those include holding, pulling or pushing, not playing the ball, serious foul play, violent conduct or deliberate handball in order to deny a goalscoring opportunity.

Ross agreed it was a penalty but argued that Loovens had not deliberately tried to foul Hawkins.

The Scot was also aggrieved that Lee Brown hadn't seen red for a foul on George Honeyman in the first half.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ross said: “You are right to point the flow of the whole game changed with the red card decision, we were good prior to that.

“We were very controlled first half, and had a group in there at halftime who believed they would replicate that second half and go on to win the game.

“You are playing against a team who are top of the table and in their own stadium, going down to ten men will have an impact.

“I get the benefit of watching incidents again, the red card I would argue isn’t a red, under the new guidelines, there is no genuine attempt to win the ball but there was no attempt to bring him down, it is a coming together. It is a penalty kick.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The incident first half, have we been punished for similar incidents? Yes we have, simple as that.”

Pressed on whether he would appeal, Ross said: "I don’t know, I need to clarify the wording of the rules, that can determine how it is looked upon.

“I know the rules have changed to avoid that double jeopardy, to be honest at the time I couldn’t see clearly so thought he pulled him back.

“Watching it again, Hawkins does well to come across him, but the legs catch each other, my understanding is that it isn’t a red card.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I don’t know the exact wording, that will have a bearing on whether we decide to that or not.”

Loovens left the field clutching his hamstring but Ross was unsure how serious that was.

He will serve a one game ban if Sunderland don't appeal, missing the visit of Bradford City on Boxing Day.