5 days ago
Sligo Rovers win appeal over Paddy McClean's red card
Sligo Rovers have been successful in their second appeal in a week as the Independent Appeal Committee of the FAI upheld the club's appeal for wrongful dismissal after Paddy McClean was sent off in the defeat to St Patrick's Athletic at Richmond Park on Sunday evening.
Referee Damien McGraith brandished a straight red card for McClean when Mason Melia was tripped on the edge of the box, but the Derry native was not the last man.
It's the second successful appeal by Sligo Rovers in a week after the club's appeal over Sam Sargeant's red card was upheld by the Independent Appeal Committee last week.
A statement from the FAI on Monday said: 'An Independent Appeal Committee of the FAI has upheld Sligo Rovers FC's appeal for wrongful dismissal following Patrick McClean's red card in Sligo Rovers FC's SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division fixture versus St. Patrick's Athletic FC on 10 August 2025.
'In accordance with the FAI Disciplinary Regulations, Patrick McClean will be available for Sligo Rovers FC's next SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division fixture versus Waterford FC on 22 August 2025.'
A frustrated John Russell said after Sunday's game: 'I think everyone in the ground, bar the man in the middle, could see it was never a red card. There was a covering defender,' he said. 'That changes the game, there is no doubt about it. It ruined it. It's very frustrating, we've come up here to try and get a result.
'We are fighting for our lives and it has changed the game, and we have ended up coming down the road with a 3-0 defeat.
'Thankfully we did get one overturned last week. But it's hard as a manager because you don't want to be complaining all the time about decisions.
'You want the game to be played in the right manner, and we want to play the right way and Pat's want to play the right way. But the game was spoiled by the decision.'
