Saturday 4 April 2015 19:28, UK
Brian Graham was unhappy with Hamilton player-manager Martin Canning after he was shown a straight red card following a "reckless" tackle on St Johnstone's Michael O'Halloran.
Canning left the field in the 58th minute of the Scottish Premiership game after being dismissed by referee Greg Aitken with Graham complaining that the tackle could have broken his team-mate’s leg.
The match at New Douglas Park ended 1-1 after Ali Crawford had given the hosts a seventh-minute lead, before 10-man Hamilton were pegged back by Graham 18 minutes from time.
And the striker said of the sending-off: "If Michael’s leg was planted, if he was not ready to jump, I think he could maybe break his leg.
"It looked a bad one. Michael is okay now, that is the main thing, but at the time he said it was a bad tackle.
"We were counter-attacking at that time and it was extremely reckless from where I looked.
"As I said, if Michael was standing, then he could potentially break his leg."
But Hamilton’s assistant-manager Guillaume Beuzelin said his boss should not have been dismissed, adding: "For me it was not a sending-off. From what I saw on the touchline, it was just a yellow.
"If it had stayed 11 versus 11, it might be a different story.
"In the first half a St Johnstone player fouled one of our players on the counter-attack. For me it is a similar situation but he never got booked.
"I didn't have time to speak to Martin but I am sure he feels pretty gutted.
"There are mixed feelings. We were comfortable at 1-0 but, obviously, the sending-off changed the whole game."
Saints boss Tommy Wright thought the sending-off decision was correct but admitted having sympathy for Canning.
He said: "From where I was I thought he was going to be lucky to stay on and the players are telling me it is a red card – their players will probably say not.
"It is a lunge and I think his foot is up and he catches him. I have sympathy (for Canning). Michael is quick but he has caught him and the referee deemed it to be dangerous."
As for the contest, Wright added: "We showed character to get back into the game after going a goal down.
"It was a sloppy goal we lost but it was an excellent response against a good team and even when they went down to 10 men they made it difficult for us.
"We probably did enough to get all three points but at the end of the day I am happy with the point."
