Jets hit Pepper escape on ban
BRISBANE defender Jacob Pepper has escaped a retrospective ban for his foul on Jets import Patricio Rodriguez, despite an angry demand for action from Newcastle boss Ernie Merrick.
The A-League’s match review panel decided yesterday that it did not have jurisdiction to rule on whether Pepper’s two-footed lunge that sidelined Rodriguez was worthy of a red card and a ban.
The Argentine sat out Newcastle training with an ankle left bruised by the clash in Friday’s 1-0 win for the Jets, a challenge not deemed a foul by referee Jonathan Barreiro.
Though Merrick had earlier demanded that the MRP act, the challenge was not seen as missed by the match officials when the panel met yesterday.
If an incident is deemed to have been dealt with on the field, the MRP has limited scope to get involved.
Merrick launched an outspoken attack on Pepper for what he said was the sort of tackle that should be banished, and which he claimed could easily have left Rodriguez with a broken ankle.
Although the win kept the Jets in second place, six points behind Sydney, Merrick has had to juggle a succession of injuries to key players.
Sensitivities are high at the Jets after the broken ankle suffered by new signing Ronald Vargas had ruled him out for most of the season.
Merrick emphasised that Vargas’s injury was not due to the tackle from Roar midfielder Matt McKay but he expressed disbelief that Pepper’s challenge had not been penalised.
“Pato is suffering from a horror tackle in the 54th minute when a player jumped in with two feet and landed on his ankle, but the referee said he didn’t see it despite being three metres away,” Merrick said.
“It meant that Pato couldn’t run with as much pace for the rest of the game. He’s been hobbling since and he currently can’t train fully.
“We were keen to have him in full training so he’d be available from the start next weekend.”
Merrick said Rodriguez had been left with a contusion.
“These are the sort of tackles we’re trying to get rid of in the A-League. We’ve already lost Vargas,” Merrick said.