Paul Trollope: Steven Jennings deserved sending off

Feb 26 2008 by Chris Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post

BRISTOL ROVERS manager Paul Trollope has declared that he had no problems with Tranmere’s ‘in your face’ style at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday but felt visiting midfielder Steven Jennings deserved his sending-off.

Jennings was shown a red card on the stroke of half-time for a lunging challenge on Chris Lines and his dismissal capped a 15-minute spell in which the visitors also had three players booked.

Despite their hosts’ numerical advantage, Tranmere edged themselves ahead on 74 minutes through Antony Kay but ultimately had to settle for a 1-1 draw when Craig Disley equalised seven minutes later.

Trollope, whose side’s FA Cup victory over Southampton a week earlier has put them within 90 minutes of a Wembley appearance, thought that referee Kevin Friend made the right decision, but had no complaints about Tranmere’s overall approach.

“The sending off was a nasty tackle, but I have no problem with them being in our faces,” said Trollope.

“Ronnie Moore felt we bullied them when we won there last month and he obviously had them fired up, but that is what you have to expect.

“We told our players at half-time to keep their discipline because the match was getting niggly.

“The pitch didn’t help because we needed to take an extra touch in our build-ups. In the end a point is not a disaster and our goal was really well worked.”