Cobblers to consider appealing Foley red as Curle questions inconsistency

Referee Charles Breakspear stunned almost everyone inside the PTS Academy Stadium when he brandished a red card for Foley’s apparently reckless challenge on Oldham’s Christopher Missilou shortly before half-time.

Cobblers still won the game through goals from John-Joe O’Toole and Kevin van Veen, but Curle now faces three games without midfielder Foley, who’s been in good form of late.

On whether he might appeal, the Town boss said: “I’ll have to watch it back and then I’ll have my professional opinion.

“I think the referee’s record speaks volumes and ff you have a challenge like that, the likelihood is that it’ll be a red card but I think it’s an honest attempt to play the ball.

“It was a little bit high because he was reaching for the ball but I don’t think there was any attempt to injure or put the player in any danger. There was no malice in it, it was just a solid challenge.

“He said he gave it for height. I spoke to him at half-time when we were going off and told him I was disappointed with the sending off but he felt he was left with no choice.

“In his opinion, it was high, reckless and potentially endangering an opponent. If that’s how he’s seen it, then that’s the decision he’s made and you have to stand by and accept it.”

Curle was also unhappy with the decision not to send off an Oldham Athletic defender during the incident that led to Northampton’s penalty late in the first-half.

He added: “It’ll be interesting to see what his view is for the penalty he gave us when their lad saved it on the line - why is that not a sending off for deliberate handball?

“It was heading for the goal. JJ’s headed it and the ball’s going in.”