Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says the referee had little choice but to send off his captain Roy Keane in Saturday's stunning 4-3 defeat by Newcastle United. Keane picked up the ninth red card of his nine-season career with the English champions after throwing the ball at Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer, apparently over a delayed throw-in, and raising his arm in the 90th minute.
The Irish international also had to be restrained by team-mate and England captain David Beckham as United crashed to their first league defeat of the season. But referee Steve Bennett was given no alternative, according to the United manager.
"I spoke to Roy and Gary Neville, who were nearest it, and they said Shearer stopped them taking a throw-in," Ferguson told Sky.com. "But that's to be expected. Players are always going to waste time when you're up with a minute to go. He (Keane) left the referee with no option, I felt."
"He gets three games for that red card, and you see some things that go on in the game of football. It makes it all so stupid. You get players elbowing opponents who get one match. It's quite amazing. He was sent off for throwing the ball."
"I don't think it's a serious offence, but in the last minute of the game the crowd are going to force the referee into a situation like that. A home player would probably not have been sent off."
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
