Angry Cherries boss Tindall labels decision to send off Lerma as 'outrageous'

Bournemouth boss Jason Tindall brandished the decision to send off Jefferson Lerma during the Cherries 1-0 defeat to Luton this afternoon as ‘outrageous.’

The midfielder was shown a straight red by referee David Webb with just 26 minutes gone of the contest at the Vitality Stadium after an aerial challenge with Town defender Tom Lockyer saw the Hatters defender caught with a flailing arm.

On the replays there appeared to be lack of intent from the Colombian, but official Webb reached straight for the red card, much to the surprise of the home players, clearly incensed by the decision.

Lockyer himself couldn’t continue despite being bandaged up, replaced by Kal Naismith shortly afterwards, but Tindall was still less than impressed, saying: “It’s an outrageous decision and I’m 100 per cent confident we’ll win the appeal.

“I think everyone that saw it whether its been on telly or whether it had been here, would agree with me that I can't believe how the referee has come to that conclusion which baffles me.

“It was a pivotal moment in the game, I felt we were doing well, up until that point I felt we were by far the better side, I felt we were going to go on and win the game comfortably.

“Saying that, even when we were down 10 men I felt we were by far the better side.

"We believed that we could go on and still win the game, so I’m really disappointed that we've come away with nothing, and I think the referee has got a big reason for that.

“From what I've seen live from the side of the pitch, I’ve seen Jeff go up for a header and their lad has almost pushed him off balance with his back and then his trailing hand has just caught their lad.

“I think the referee has just reacted off maybe a bit of blood that their lad received off the back of it, because I can't think of any other reason as to why he would have sent him off.

“I think everyone has the same position as myself, and anyone that has seen the decision, everyone knows, I don't think you have to know too much about football to know that's not a red card.

“But it just goes to highlight the quality of the officiating.

"We have been fortunate to see officiating in the Premier League for five seasons and there's a huge gulf in quality.

“I’ve no doubt with 11 v 11 we go on to win that game comfortably, no doubt in my mind that what would have happened.

“Even down to 10 men I still believed that we would score and get something from the game, but unfortunately for us it didn't quite pan out that way.

“Ultimately the decision by the referee was a big moment in the game.”

Luton boss Nathan Jones had some sympathy for his opposite number, as when asked for his reaction, he said: “If I was Jason, I’d be a little bit narked about it, but these things happen.

“We’ve had them, we had one at Swansea where were massively in the ascendancy a bicycle kick (from Matty Pearson) costs us a red card and that’s the way it is today.

“I think to be honest with you the way football is at the minute, some of the fouls that people give, you've only got to breathe on someone, they go over and it's a foul.

“So the fact it was a raised elbow you can understand why the ref's given it.

"And he has cut our boy, given him a bit of a concussion so it shows he has made contact, but that's the way it is at the minute.”

However, defender Sonny Bradley had a far different view, adding: “It’s a clear red card, absolutely clear as day.

“I haven't seen it back, but from what I've seen, Locks has got there first and the boy has led with his elbow it looks like and when you lead with your elbow into somebody's face, you're asking the referee to make a decision.

“I went straight over, I looked at Locks and he’s pouring with blood and that hasn’t come from a clash of heads, that’s come because he’s had an arm in his face and if you do that in football you get sent off.

“We know that now, for me it's a clear red card, the boy’s let his team down there.”