Jack Vale Motherwell red card branded 'laughable' as Stuart Kettlewell slams ref for Aberdeen display
Stuart Kettlewell claimed Jack Vale’s Pittodrie red card was laughable and confirmed Motherwell plan to appeal it.
The striker was ordered off for a second half challenge on Jack MacKenzie. Kettlewell insisted Vale had hooked the ball away and MacKenzie went flying into his player and his club will challenge that decision with the SFA next week.
Kettlewell said: “For me. it's laughable. Anyone that has played the game, watched the game, studied the game, you will see the ball has dropped over his shoulder and he has hooked it over his shoulder. Jack MacKenzie comes steaming into Jack Vale, I thought it might have been our foul. I’m not sure the Aberdeen player has got any place in that vicinity when our player has won the ball and hooked it over his shoulder and he actually comes charging in, doesn't de-accelerate at any point, comes haring into Jack Vale and spins him around.
“We will put a still on it and say his leg is straight and all that nonsense. He has got to the ball first, “But you see the ref's reaction, we actually had the same reaction for a penalty awarded against us when they take no time whatsoever to stop and think, maybe communicate with the assistants just to see if they are seeing the right thing. And when he brandishes the red card we all know VAR is not going to turn it over.”
Kettlewell was equally unimpressed by referee Craig Napier’s handling of the game and he gave a corner tat led to Aberdeen’s winner even though it had come off Stefan Gartenmann. Kettlewell, when asked if it should have been an Aberdeen corner, answered: “I don't think so. We have had a look at it and I think some of you guys in the press box see the touch that comes off the Aberdeen player and it looks like it's a goal kick.
"Look at the players' reaction, the Aberdeen players start filtering back outside the box and our players acknowledge it's our ball.”