By Gary Smith
Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent
Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com
LONDON, England: Grenadian international Jason Roberts was shown a red card in the English Premier League match played at a soggy White Hart Lane on Thursday.
Roberts was sent off in time added on after receiving two yellow cards in the match between his side Blackburn Rovers and the home team Tottenham Hotspur.
Struggling to get by the Tottenham defence for majority of the game, the striker saw his game came to a premature end in the blink on an eye when he was booked in rapid succession, the first for bringing down Didier Zokora and a second for kicking the ball away.
The second for dissent was a bit harsh, some would say, but referee Rob Styles felt Roberts’ protest action warranted another yellow card and he sent him off.
The Grenadian's sending off meant that the visitors, who played well enough to win the match, had to play the final moments on the edge.
"The only disappointment on the night was the sending off of Jason Roberts, I felt it was unnecessary and it has just taken the edge of things," Rovers manager and former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes said after the game.
Earlier in the match, striker Benni McCarthy struck his 23 goal of the season in the 32nd minute, but it wasn't enough to earn all three points for Rovers as Jermain Defoe's second half tap-in made sure the home side secured a point.
"I thought we were excellent in the first half," Hughes said. "We were getting up to the ball, trapping Tottenham in areas they didn't want to be and breaking off tackles won in midfield and were creating chances.
"We were good value for the lead that we had, we expected a result from Tottenham in the second half and they came at us, but we withstood it. "
A disappointed Hughes added: "We were a little disappointed with the goal because at that point we weren't really under a huge amount of pressure, but the ball just spills to their guy and it is 1-1."
The tied game meant that Rovers’ hopes of a direct route through the league into the UEFA Cup were ended. |
