Gilbert: Has a rest for Cheltenham, Macclesfield and Burton Albion
Left back Peter Gilbert was sent off in stoppage time of the 1-1 draw at Stevenage Tuesday evening for 'dangerous play' by referee Simon Hooper for what looked like a two-footed tackle at the game.
However, Gilbert insisted it was not as bad as it seemed on first sighting and told the official site: "The referee has already blown his whistle before the tackle is made. He said that doesn't matter but I don't think it was a red card as both of us were going for the ball just as hard and it was only a one footed challenge."
Blues boss Paul Sturrock felt the ref's decision may have been influenced by the home crowd and promised to look at the tape of the incident, but sadly for Gilbert, and the team, after viewing the tackle again the club will not be making an appeal.
Sturrock told www.southendunited.co.uk: "We've watched the DVD of the incident and whilst Peter wins the ball it looks a worse tackle on tape than it perhaps was on the night. The club has spoken with the FA and their people have advised on the on the evidence of the DVD that the success of any appeal is very slim."
It seems the FA have been through this type of thing many times before!
Sturrock continued: "They see what the Disciplinary Panel throws out everyday so they have a good idea of what grounds to appeal on. The last thing we want to do is appeal and then get an extra game added as it's believed to be frivolous. It's unfortunate that we will be without Gilbert for three games now but we will have work around that."
That means the former Northampton full back will miss Cheltenham away next Tuesday, Macclesfield at Roots Hall the following Saturday, and Burton Albion away on December 5th.
This unfortunate news follows on from the five yellow card one match suspensions for Anthony Grant and Bilel Moshni, making them also unavailable for the Cheltenham game.
Read more about that here:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/luggy_looks_to_loan_
as_suspensions_strike_shrimpers_low_602402/index.shtml
The only thing wrong with the above headline is there's been no new loanee, but we must be in with a chance of an emergency loan, we will see.