Western Morning News (Saturday)
Lowe backing skipper after his two red cards
RYAN Lowe remains very supportive of Plymouth Argyle skipper Gary Sawyer despite his two red cards in February.
The experienced defender will serve the second of a fourmatch suspension when the Pilgrims host relegation-threatened Macclesfield Town today.
His ban began when Argyle beat Ian Holloway’s Grimsby Town 3-0 at Home Park on Tuesday.
Sawyer was sent-off for a lunging tackle on Dylan Connolly during the 2-1 defeat away to Bradford City in a mudbath at Valley Parade last Saturday.
That was in only his third game since returning from a three-match ban after being red-carded for a similar tackle in the 1-0 home win against Newport County on February 1.
On that occasion, Sawyer was dismissed for a tackle on Jordan Green in the closing stages.
Lowe had raised the possibility of appealing Sawyer’s red card against Bradford immediately after the game but, in the end, Argyle opted not to.
The Pilgrims’ boss said: “I spoke to Carl Boyeson, the referee, after the game. He gave me his card and told me, ‘Ryan, I will have a look at it’.
“Fair play to him. He said, ‘Look, if I have got it wrong, I will admit I have got it wrong’.
“He spoke to me and said it was the right call, so I’m not going to argue with him. I respect him for what he is and what he has done.
“At the time was I disappointed? Yeah, of course. When you look at it back, what is a red card nowadays and what isn’t?
“There are plenty of things that happen throughout the leagues. I just feel whatever the referees decide to do in that moment is their decision. We will always respect it. Yeah, sometimes I will be disappointed with it.
“The more we have looked at it, the kid (Connolly) reacted a little bit for it and Gaz’s studs are showing a bit. It has gone now. We have got to move on it from it. Gaz has missed one game, he’s missing another one and then he has got to miss two more.
“There is every chance that it is not going to get overturned unless you have got a real good case. So, for us, we chose not to.”
Sawyer’s latest suspension for serious foul play was increased to four matches as it was his second red card of the season.
He will also miss the trips to Morecambe on March 17 and Leyton Orient, one of his former clubs, the following Tuesday.
Lowe said: “Gaz has been excellent for us. Does he want to put wrongs right from last season? One hundred per cent.
“I don’t want my players pulling out of tackles because you get hurt.”
Lowe added: “We know it’s hard for the officials. For Gaz, he just wants to do well for the football club.”