‘It’s Gust not good enough’
COVENTRY boss Mark Robins slammed Gustavo Hamer after he was sent off for the second time in a month.
Hamer lashed out at Birmingham sub Hannibal Mejbri, kicking him in the head, as they tussled on the ground a minute from time.
Ref Graham Scott showed an immediate red card and Robins said: “Birmingham smelt a bit of blood when Hamer was sent off. His disciplinary record is absolutely ridiculous.
“That’s a four-game suspension for Hamer.
“We need everybody fit and available and now that has happened. He is such a key player for us.
“I didn’t see the incident at the time. I’ve seen it subsequently and it looked to me that Mejbri grabbed his legs and Hamer did what he had to, to try to get free.
“The eagle-eyed officials saw it and he’s sent off for violent conduct. I’m going to speak to the referee but I don’t think we will appeal it.”
Hamer, who got 17 yellow cards last season, was sent off in a 3-2 defeat at Millwall in August for two more yellow cards and served a one-game ban.
The Sky Blues are bottom of the Championship, seven points adrift of safety with three games in hand on West Brom.
It might have been worse because when they were a man short, captain Kyle McFadzean cleared off the line from sub Lukas Jutkiewicz.
“I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t win but we didn’t start very well and overall a draw was a fair result,” said Blues boss John Eustace.
BIRMINGHAM: Ruddy 7; Colin 6, Sanderson 7, Trusty 7; Williams 6, Bielik 6, Chong 6, Graham 6; Bacuna 8 (Mejbri (67) 5); Hogan 6, Deeney 6 (Jutkiewicz (78) 6)
COVENTRY: Wilson 8; Doyle 6, McFadzean 6, Panzo 6; Dabo 6, Allen 6 (Palmer (77) 5), Hamer 7, Sheaf 6, Bidwell 6; Godden 6 (Walker (77) 5), Gyokeres 6
STAR MAN: Juninho Bacuna – Didn’t last whole game and Coventry were grateful for that. Very creative.
REF: Graham Scott 6