GARETH TAYLOR hopes Manchester City will not be seen as a “dirty side” following a hat-trick of red cards in their last two WSL games.
Alex Greenwood saw her 100th Citizens appearance ended early with her team reduced to nine players during their 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
PAAlex Greenwood was sent off during Manchester City’s home clash with Chelsea after being shown a second yellow card for time-wasting.[/caption]
AlamyLauren Hemp was shown a red card with nine minutes of normal remaining after a second booking for a foul on Chelsea’s Lauren James[/caption]
AlamyKhiara Keating shone for Man City in goal shutting out title-holders Chelsea until the 97th minute[/caption]
AlamyGuro Reiten scored in injury time to level the game for the Blues[/caption]
City centurion Greenwood received a second booking and her marching orders for time-wasting in the 38th-minute.
The red card shown by ref Emily Heaslip was met with loud boos from the home crowd at Joie Stadium
A crackdown on time-wasting, following new refereeing guidelines introduced this year, saw Greenwood penalised for taking more than 20 seconds to take a free-kick.
But football legend Ian Wright questioned the decision to send her off, describing it as “embarrassing”.
The fixture also saw Lauren Hemp giving her marching orders for a late second-half foul on Lauren James.
It comes one weekend on from Leila Ouahabi being sent off for violent conduct during Man City’s 2-1 defeat of West Ham last Sunday.
Taylor, whose team will play Everton in the Conti Cup on Wednesday, said: “Three red cards in two games is going to send a message suggesting to anyone that hasn’t watched us play, that we’re a dirty team.
“But I think anyone who has watched us in the last two games would never say that.
“We are a good, young team that maintains possession of the ball really well.
“We are exciting to watch and we would like to keep 11 players on the pitch!
“If there is consistency, then in most of the games we will see a lot of that, where there are yellow cards and red cards.”
On whether he felt the sendings off altered the game, Taylor added: “If they need to be given and players have offended for one reason or another, then fair enough.
“But I think it spoils things. Both teams came out here with a game plan then all of a sudden, 10 minutes before half-time it changes.
“The momentum shifts.”
A total of five yellows were shown to players on the home side with two turning to reds.
Chloe Kelly and Laia Aleixandria were cautioned for dissent with the duo complaining to the referee following Greenwood’s departure.
And Chelsea’s Lauren James, Niamh Charles and Jelena Cankovic were the only Blues players booked
Blues chief Emma Hayes said: “I’m pleased with our discipline.
“On yellow cards, you have to keep your discipline on a yellow card and I think the two players on a yellow card at half-time, Lauren (James) and Niamh (Charles) did do that.”
Of taking on a City side reduced to nine players. Hayes added: “People think it’s easy against 10 or nine (players).
“But it’s harder because you have to work harder in some ways. We waited too much and the crowd got behind them.
“I’m pleased we got a goal, it shows our resilience but that is not us at our best today.
“This is a place that is really difficult to come to. A draw is a normal score line here. For Man City this is a game they really want to win.”
The clash at the Joie Stadium was preceded by a minute’s silence for club legend Francis Lee.
The former England striker passed away at the age of 79 last Monday following a battle with cancer.
Taylor’s side made their early pressure count with Jill Roord forcing Chelsea’s keeper Zecira Musovic to parry out for a corner.
And Chloe Kelly’s thumped opener gave City a seventh-minute lead taking a deflection of Jess Carter
The hosts’ 19-year-old goalkeeper Khiara Keating delivered a series of classy saves including a stunning stop to keep out Sophie Ingle’s bullet header.
But Drama ensued when the hosts went down to 10 players near half-time with Greenwood sent off
The skipper, booked earlier for a foul on Jessie Fleming, was dismissed for taking roughly 20 seconds to take a free-kick.
The second spell began in a similar vein to the first with Kelly going close for City.
GettyChloe Kelly netted her first league goal of the season in the seventh minute for Man City[/caption]
But they found themselves down to nine players in the 81st minute with Hemp sent off following a second booking for tugging James’ shirt.
City held out past the 90th minute with Keating giving her all between the sticks as her side battled to stay in front.
But an injury-time Guro Reiten strike from close range saw the spoils shared ahead of the Blues’ duel with West Ham this Saturday.
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