Terry Connor feels the red card shown to Wolves defender Sebastien Bassong against Arsenal was 'a little bit harsh'.
Wolves boss hails his side's bravery and spirit despite defeat
Terry Connor feels the red card shown to Wolves defender Sebastien Bassong against Arsenal was 'a little bit harsh' but was full of praise for his side despite defeat.
Wolves were reduced to 10 men early on at Molineux after Bassong appeared to bring downTheo Walcott in the box, with Robin van Persie converting the resulting penalty before Walcott and Yossi Benayoun sealed a 3-0 Gunners win.
The Midlanders remain rooted in the basement of the Premier League with relegation beckoning but Connor could not fault their spirit.
No intent
The manager was also left feeling hard done by after Bassong's dismissal, insisting there was no intent in his challenge.
He told
Sky Sports: "I saw a tangle of legs, I saw the referee give a penalty kick and I saw him produce a red card.
"I don't think it's fair, no. I think if there's an intention to bring an opponent down in the box then I accept that you have a penalty kick and a red card but there was no intent there.
"It was just a tangle of legs, two lads going for the ball. The referee saw it as a penalty and I think he's right to do so, but I think the red card was a little bit harsh.
"It's always the case. When you're near the bottom the bad luck seems to follow you and the breaks seem to go to the teams that are the top end of the league but we are where we are."
He added of his side's display: "I thought they were terrific. It was a genuine effort from 10 lads who were out there trying their best for each other.
"They worked with such honesty and such bravery and in the second half actually took the game back to Arsenal for long periods.
"I think the last kick of the game is us trying to get at least one back for the fans. The fans were brilliant, they stayed right until the very end and they saw a team committed to playing the game."
Connor insists there is a strong sense of togetherness in the squad despite their relegation fears.
Honest
"People are looking for negative things but the lads have been fantastic," he said. "They've been honest in their training and they've been honest in their games.
"We might not have the quality and we might not have the guile that we really need to survive but they've got honesty and bravery and commitment in abundance and that's been shown out here today. It's shown every day when we come into work. The lads are together more than ever."
He added: "I'll look at the table and look at the results tonight and I know it's going to be very difficult for us to get out of it, but all I can say is, if the lads produce five more performances with the guts and determination and honesty that they showed tonight then that's all that I can ask for."
