John Egan should have received a straight red card in Sheffield United's defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday.
That's according to former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher, who believes David Coote's decision to send Egan for an early bath for fouling Joelinton was a correct one, but it could have been even more severe.
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder was unhappy that Coote gave Egan his first yellow card of the game for an exchange with Joelinton, a call that would prove pivotal when the Republic of Ireland international picked up a second later in the game.
“The ref pushes them away and both Steve and I were stunned that they got yellows for that," Wilder said after the game.
"I think Steve (Bruce) will have been delighted in a sense though because he’ll have known, being in the position he’s in, that John will have been putting himself about much more than Joelinton.
“The game hasn’t changed that much and, if it has, then it’s in a worse place that it was before.”
But former ref Gallagher thinks Coote was not only right in showing Egan red with a second yellow for his later offence, but he could have skipped the yellow and given the Irishman a straight red.
"I actually thought it was a direct red card. Joelinton is in possession of the ball and he gets away from Egan," Gallagher told Sky Sports.
"The covering defender is a red herring for me because he only gets there as a result of Joelinton being stopped.
"He got sent off regardless because he was on a yellow, but however way you cut it, he had to be sent off."
Second yellow or straight red, the decision makes little difference for Newcastle, who put together a convincing display to come away with a win at the first attempt since the restart.
Steve Bruce's men are now in 13th and within two points of the top half.
