St Andrews United boss Garry Wright reveals result of Lewis Sawers red card appeal

With United trailing 1-0 in this East of Scotland Football League Premier Division curtain raiser to Conor Kelly’s penalty after Tom Milne had brought down Sam Colley, the visitors’ subsequent angry protestations for a spot kick of their own for a push on star striker Lewis Sawers were rejected by referee Brent Falconer.

To compound matters for Wright’s team, Sawers was then controversially shown a straight red card seconds later for a retaliatory foul on Dylan Tennant, with Saints’ subsequent appeal against Sawers’ dismissal and two-game league ban this week being rejected by the East of Scotland FA.

“In terms of the red card we’ve appealed it and lost the appeal,” gaffer Wright told the Herald and Citizen. “But for me it’s a booking, never a red card.

"At the time, Lewis has gone past the guy and it was a blatant contact by the player’s hand on Lewis’s shoulder to nudge him off balance. With the quick speed Lewis was going at, that didn’t take much.

“We’ve appealed for a penalty – I’ve since watched it back numerous times and I thought it was a clear foul – but we’ve not got it.

“Then Lewis has sprinted back and challenged the guy. He is late, but in my eyes it was never a sending off.

“The referee has said it was violent conduct, meaning that Lewis stamped on the guy. He’s not stamped down on him, I put it down to the old one that people say, it was a forward’s challenge.

"Lewis has not dived off the ground or anything, I think he’s maybe caught the top of the boy’s foot or something.

"Even a couple of the Dunipace players said: ‘That’s not a sending off’, one of their management team said he thought it was then another one said he didn’t think it was. It’s all about opinions but it was a blow for us at that time in the game.

"We had just gone behind but we were doing all right in the game. But the sending off in terms of us getting back in the game, killed us really. Lewis has been our top goalscorer for two years, so he was a big loss.”

Assessing the final outcome at Dunipace, Wright added: “I think Dunipace are a really good side with a good manager and they’re a good footballing side.

"There are not too many teams who will go down there and come away with points.

"We stuck to our game plan but I just felt the first team to score would probably win the game. Obviously they got it with a penalty, which I had no problem with.

"I’m disappointed we didn’t win the game but we gave a right good account of ourselves.”

As Sawers’ ban only kicks in for United’s next two league games – at home to Whitburn this Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm and at home to Hill of Beath Hawthorn next Tuesday, kick-off 7.30pm – he was available to play in Saints’ East of Scotland Qualifying Cup second round trip to Preston Athletic on Tuesday night.

Trailing that tie 1-0 at half-time to a breakaway goal by Ben Weekes, St Andrews ended up 4-1 winners thanks to goals by Sawers (penalty), James Collins, Luke Mahady and James Hennessy.

"We played really well,” Wright said. “We dominated the game but they were quite good on the counter attack.

"We were in comfortable possession in the first half but they broke on us and scored, so we went in 1-0 down.

"But second half we kept doing what we’re about and what we’re believing in and we were really, really good.”

On the upcoming league double header, he added: “Both games are tough because I think everybody is capable of beating each other in this league this year.”