ROTHERHAM DERBY RAM RAGE Lampard, Lawrence see red
FRANK LAMPARD will not apologise for seeing red – and is convinced he was the victim of some rough justice.
The Derby boss lost his cool and got his marching orders as his 10-man side were sentenced to defeat by Ryan Manning’s second-half penalty.
But Lampard came out fighting against referee Peter Bankes and his assistants – as he faces up to the prospect of a onematch touchline ban.
Lampard risked further angering the FA, by questioning the red card on Tom Lawrence and the penalty awarded against his side, along with hinting he is a high-profile target for officials in the EFL.
Bankes flashed his red card for the second time in the game, after sending off Lawrence, when Lampard marched 20 yards down the touchline to confront assistant Andrew Fox. When asked whether the referee could not wait to get his card, Lampard said: “I think you are right.
“He was like a whippet with his card. He did not even come over to the assistant and ask him what I had said.
“If I was sent off for leaving the technical area, their manager and their coaches should have been sent off, too. We will get sent off every week if it is just for that. I got emotional and got a red card.
“If walking 20 yards down the touchline made me more of a target that may be the case.
“We did not seem to get any decisions. Everything went against us.”
Lampard (above) did not help himself with his actions and neither did Lawrence, whose crude lunge on Richie Towell started the Rams’ vicious downward spiral. Within three minutes of Lawrence’s irresponsible act, assistant ref Billy Smallwood compounded the madness by flagging for Craig Forsyth’s foul on Michael Smith.
Bankes awarded the spot-kick and Manning kept his cool to fire the Millers to their first win over Derby in 16 years.
Rotherham boss Paul Warne had some sympathy for Lampard, saying: “It’s a passionate game.
“You do get frustrated if you are not getting the rub of the green, but if you overstep the mark you get punished.”
It might have been a heavier defeat, but for Rotherham’s poor finishing and Scott Carson’s reflexes.
Carson pulled off five excellent saves – the pick being his dive to tip away Manning’s swerving shot from the edge of the area.