Speaking to Sky Sports and as reported by Essexlive, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has said the red card Aaron Cresswell received at the weekend against Crystal Palace was harsh.
The London derby at Selhurst Park between the Eagles and Hammers was pretty good-natured but the left-back, who had just returned from injury and set up Manuel Lanzini’s winner in the first half, saw red after two yellows in quick succession.
He was first booked for what Martin Atkinson deemed a dive but replays later showed there was indeed contact with Palace man Yohan Cabaye. He then received his second booking moments later after bringing down Wilfred Zaha and it was linesman Peter Kirkup that deemed it worthy of such a reprimand.
It was that second yellow that Gallagher particularly took exception to with his comments saying:
“I think it’s just a foul [the second yellow] and a free-kick is enough. The problem is the assistant thinks differently. He says to him [the referee] ‘it’s a second yellow card and the ref has nowhere to go.”
Cresswell will now miss next weekend’s game against Sunderland through suspension.
