Blackburn Rovers footballer accuses PNE forward of BITING him during 'tense' derby
Rovers footballer Owen Beck has accused a Preston North End player, Milutin Osmajic of biting him during a tense game.
The Lancashire derby saw the rivals play out a 0-0 draw during a fiesty clash at PNE's Deepdale. The game on Sunday saw two red cards with Sam Greenwood given an early bath in the first half and Beck then dismissed in the final minutes of the second.
Beck was sent off after a dangerous challenge on Holmes which saw him lunge out and catch the USA international. The incident resulted in a melee between both teams before Osmajic grabbed the defender, the Mirror reports.
READ MORE: Tents used by rough sleepers removed to stop Blackpool 'becoming like California'
A replay showed Osmajic holding Beck's torso before learning into his shoulders and placing his face against his back. Other clips show Beck with officials where he appears to say "he's bitten me".
However, Montenegrin was only shown a yellow card for dissent and Beck was given his marching orders. The dramatic game also saw some protests over whether Greenwood's red card was deserved after lunging on Lewis Baker in the 42nd minute.
Blackburn were seething with Beck's red and the resulting chaos - as the club's official Twitter page reported on the incident by writing: "The ref, who's completely lost control, sends off Beck. Osmajic receives a booking too."
Fans reacted with shock, with one saying: "That’s terrible reffing there, pure arrogance, beck was non stop telling them he was bit and nothing."
Another demanded a lengthy ban, writing: "I don’t know how any thought process leads you to bite another man. I mean look at the state of Osmajic here, it looks like he’s trying to bite through the wires like a dog. Give [him] a season ban."
Blackburn boss John Eustace was far from happy after the game, telling Sky Sports that Osmajic had "taken a big chunk out of his neck".
"Obviously that's what happens in local derbies, emotions get very high. You can see from the TV pictures that the kid's taken a big chunk out of his neck. That's part of being in the derby."
The bizarre incident will bring back memories of former Liverpool star Luis Suarez's biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in 2013, with the Uruguayan picking up a 10-game ban as a result.