LIVVY STAR INSISTS AERIAL CLASH WAS ONLY YELLOW CARD
LIVINGSTON striker Lyndon Dykes has claimed team-mate Ricki Lamie merited only a yellow card for the aerial challenge that left Joe Aribo requiring 20 stitches to his head. While content Lamie did not intend to hurt Aribo, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard felt the defender should have been dismissed for leading dangerously with his elbow during Wednesday night’s Betfred Cup victory for the Ibrox side. Referee Don Robertson took no action and Dykes — toppled by Filip Helander in another controversy — believes Lamie (right) deserved to stay on the pitch. ‘I saw the blood coming out, so obviously he did connect,’ said Dykes. ‘He was looking at the ball and connected with him. ‘But it is one of those things in football. It is a physical game. ‘He doesn’t mean to go in and elbow him, so I think it is a yellow. Luckily enough it was not a serious injury, so it was one of those things.’ Dykes made no apologies for Livingston’s robust approach and believes they are entitled to unsettle the opposition. ‘I do not care what people think,’ he said. ‘We just do what we are good at and try to get results. You do not want to make it easy for teams. When they come up against us, they need to know it is going to be a battle. ‘But I think we have a lot of quality in the team as well, when we go forward we do play. We have surprised a lot of people this season. It is just the start, we can improve.’ No action was taken against Helander for a last-man challenge on Dykes in first-half stoppage time, with Robertson later apologising to Livingston for that call. Ironically, Dykes could now be a doubt for tomorrow’s match against Hamilton after hurting his ankle in the incident. ‘Personally, I thought it was a red card,’ said the Australian forward. ‘I thought I nicked the ball out. The ref told me at half-time it was a red. ‘It’s part of the game where refs get things wrong and you cannot do anything about it. ‘You have to get on with it. We had chances. It is not like we lost just because of that but it would have changed the game a lot. It is what happens in football.’