Former players defend Max Dowman over red-card incident

Former players defend Max Dowman over red-card incidentMicah Richards and Alan Shearer have hit back at criticism of Max Dowman, suggesting the Arsenal youngster was lucky not to suffer an injury.Photo by Carl Recine/Getty ImagesArsenal’sMax Dowman received a red card against Fleetwood Town for his reaction to a heavy challenge in the dying minutes of the game.With Dowman going nowhere, facing towards his own goal, trapped next to the touchline, a Fleetwood player flew in to a sliding challenge to put the ball one yard over and out of play.It was an exceedingly risky challenge for very little reward, and Dowman was clearly unhappy with it. He threw the opponent off his foot with a flick of his leg, which was apparently enough for a red card.Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty ImagesDowman has since faced criticism for reacting to the bad challenge, with suggestions that he brought the dismissal on himself. But former Manchester City player Micah Richards has hit back strongly against those kinds of comments.“Do you know how annoying it is when people say he shouldn’t react?” Richards asked. “What do you mean he shouldn’t react? If the tackle would have been a fraction higher or a fraction lower, it breaks his leg. What do you mean ‘don’t react’? That’s the most ridiculous thing.“It’s just a natural instinct, a natural reaction. Especially when you’re 16.”Photo by Stu Forster/Getty ImagesAlan Shearer added: “I admired the way, because there were so many players… in fact, there were a lot of players that would have gone down screaming, rolling around, getting that challenge. Yet he stood up and took what he had to take.“So from that point of view, I thought ‘yeah, I don’t mind that’.”Sadly, the footballing authorities have shown no such understanding, rejecting Arsenal’s appeal against the red card. Dowman will now have to serve a three-match domestic suspension, though he will be able to play in the Champions League against Slavia Praha.Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images