Brady 'cannot comprehend' recent decisions to book McWilliams as midfielder faces ban

Midfielder will miss two games
Shaun McWilliams.Shaun McWilliams.
Shaun McWilliams.

Jon Brady says he 'cannot comprehend' some of the recent decisions to book Shaun McWilliams, revealing even the referee admitted it was 'a bit harsh' to caution the midfielder during Saturday's goalless draw with Port Vale.

The 23-year-old is now banned for the next two games after earning his 10th yellow card of the season at Vale Park. The incident came 20 minutes into the second-half when referee Alan Young penalised him for handball.

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McWilliams was also unfairly treated, according to Brady, when yellow carded against both Walsall and Barrow, and even once he returns to action, he will have 14 games to avoid a further five bookings which would result in a three-match suspension.

Whilst some thought his yellow card against Vale was for dissent, Brady confirmed it was given for handball.

"Shaun didn't get booked for dissent," said the Town boss. "He's in the middle of the pitch and Shaun was doing what Shaun does - he gets around the pitch quickly, he closes their lad down really well and the ball has hit his arm from about a yard.

"The referee gets his card out, Shaun runs to him and goes 'I haven't meant that, I haven't meant that' and I spoke to the referee after the game and his words were 'maybe it was a bit harsh' but that doesn't help us.

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"He doesn't know that Shaun is potentially on his 10th booking and I feel his last three yellow cards have been very unfortunate. He made two good tackles in the last two games. At times I cannot comprehend the decision-making of referees.

"He made two good tackles before today, then the handball and that's three bookings which takes him to 10 and he's now out for two games. It's highly frustrating and it's no wonder a lot of other managers get frustrated too."