Arthur Gnahoua’s sending off was really harsh – Morecambe boss Derek Adams

Posted Sunday, October 02, 2022 by PA

Morecambe boss Derek Adams was left fuming with the officials after the sending off of Arthur Gnahoua proved the turning point in a 3-1 defeat at Accrington.

Gnahoua was sent off on the stroke of half-time for clashing with Mitch Clark in the air and was shown a red card that Adams felt was undeserved.

He said: “The sending off turned the game and was really harsh. The linesman said it was an excessive challenge but it certainly wasn’t.

“The reaction of the Accrington players didn’t help and I think they had a big part in the decision to send Arthur off.

“Even when we were a man down I thought we were always in the game and at 1-1 I thought we could have got the win, but then they got a soft free-kick which they scored their second goal from and that turned things again.”

Accrington boss John Coleman saw the red card differently, saying: “I don’t think he can have too many complaints. If he goes for the man and not the ball you are always opening yourself to a red card.

“I don’t think the sending off changed the game too much though as they were always looking to sit back and hit us on the break but it did give us the extra man to get down the sides and we took advantage of that and I thought the lads showed great spirit.”

All four goals came in the second half with Stanley taking advantage of the extra man when Liam Coyle latched on to Clark’s pass to slot the ball past Connor Ripley just before the hour.

The Shrimps levelled on 77 minutes with a bizarre own goal from Ryan Astley who somehow turned a long Ripley clearance past his own goalkeeper.

The home side bounced back and took the lead again nine minutes from time when Ethan Hamilton struck a free-kick past Ripley.

And Tommy Leigh completed the scoring five minutes from time with a far-post finish from Jack Nolan’s cross as Stanley clinched a third successive win.