Nottingham Forest are set to be without Yohan Benalouane for Monday’s City Ground date with Middlesbrough, as his one-game ban takes effect.
The Tunisian defender was given his marching orders by referee Andy Madley just two minutes into the second half at Sheffield United, a decision which proved the turning point, as the Blades went on to beat 10-man Forest 2-0 in the Bramall Lane sunshine.
But was the decision harsh?
Former England striker Dean Ashton believes it was, and not only that, he branded it a dive from the Blades frontman.
Madley opted to pull out the red card for Benalouane, who lunged in on former Forest striker David McGoldrick just outside the box.
Despite suggestions from Martin O’Neill that Molla Wague would have cut McGoldrick off before he could run onto the ball, referee Madley dismissed the 32-year-old for a professional foul as the last man, triggering a suspension.
“From the referee’s point of view, this is a red card and a sending off because he’s dived in,” Ashton told the EFL Show on Quest.
If Nottingham Forest lose to Middlesbrough, Evangelos Marinakis could have a tough decision to make
“McGoldrick’s going to go on and take a shot but actually, when you look at it again – McGoldrick could have stayed on his feet – he could have easily stayed on his feet so therefore, for me, it was a dive.”
