Stevenage boss believes midfielder’s sending off changed the Crewe game

Boro boss Graham Westley has said he thought Stacy Long could have felt harshly done by following his sending off against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday.

Long was sent off midway through the second half with the score at 1-1 after receiving two yellow cards in the space of 20 minutes.

His second yellow, when he mistimed a tackle on Mat Mitchel-King, surprised even the Crewe defender who gave a shrug and shook Long’s hand before he walked off the pitch.

“Most people around me felt that each of the yellow card decisions could have been seen differently,” Westley said afterwards.

“So if you add up two decisions that could have been seen differently and call them a red then the player can feel harshly done by.”

Westley believed the sending off changed the game and said that although his players continued going for all three points, they were left facing an uphill struggle.

“They [Crewe] came out of the traps after half time, a little bit of wind assisting them and managed to get the ball down our end and peg us in, certainly for five minutes after half time, but the sending off changes the game doesn’t it?

“After that we’re doing everything we can to win it but at the same time it was always going to be tough.”