Leeds United man receives Preston North End backing despite Blackburn Rovers flash point

Preston North End's Sam Greenwood Preston North End's Sam Greenwood
Preston North End's Sam Greenwood | CameraSport - Alex Dodd
The PNE midfielder was sent off against Blackburn Rovers

Preston North End captain Ben Whiteman doesn’t want to see aggression go out of Sam Greenwood’s game, despite his red card on Sunday.

The Leeds United loan man was sent off in the Lancashire derby against Blackburn Rovers, with 42 minutes on the clock and the score goalless. It finished 0-0 at Deepdale, but Paul Heckingbottom’s team were down to ten for more than half of the match. Eventually, the numbers were evened up when Rovers defender Owen Beck saw red late on.

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Greenwood, though, went in strong on Stoke City midfielder Lewis Baker, right in front of the dugouts. After plenty of deliberation, referee Matt Donohue brandished the red card. PNE skipper Whiteman spoke to the media after the encounter and rallied around Greenwood, who was dealt the first setback of his loan spell in Lancashire.

“I think the manager mentioned it, that he’s obviously given the referee a decision to make,” said Whiteman. “I don’t think it is a red, but in this day and age you don’t know what is to be fair. We cannot take that out of Sam’s game. He’s done about four or five since the season has started and they have all come off, so it’s just one of them.”

Also at Deepdale on Sunday was PNE legend, Paul Gallagher. The former player and coach, who left Stoke City’s management team in the summer, was commentating for BBC Radio Lancashire. He was impressed by Greenwood’s performance up until his dismissal, but agreed with Heckingbottom that the 22-year-old could have no complaints.

“It was well spoken about before the game, in Paul Heckingbottom’s press conference, about tackling going out of derby games,” said Gallagher. “To be fair to Sam Greenwood, I thought he was having a decent game in that number ten role. He was pressing the ball, getting on the ball and trying to make things happen. But, you just can’t tackle like that.

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“Lewis Baker gets his body in the way and his momentum comes right through the back. The force he comes with, both feet leave the ground and you give the referee a decision to make. The whole crowd goes up, the atmosphere. I said just take your time - don’t get caught up in the emotion. But, when you see it back, it is a red card. The disappointing thing is that Sam Greenwood will miss three games.”

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