Blackburn’s Owen Beck was shaken up after allegedly being bitten on the back of his neck by Preston’s Milutin Osmajic in their bad-tempered goalless draw, Rovers boss John Eustace revealed.
Beck was sent off in the 89th minute for kicking out at Duane Holmes, but the bigger controversy came in the immediate aftermath of the incident as video footage appeared to show Osmajic biting the Blackburn left-back.
Commenting on the incident, Eustace said: “He (Beck) went to clear the ball and caught the lad, but he’s got a big bite mark on the back of his neck. It’s a shame the referee didn’t see that.
“He’s shown all the lads. He’s very disappointed to be sent off, but obviously he doesn’t want to have that on the back of his neck as well. He’s a little bit quiet, a little bit shook up.”
Osmajic’s manager, Paul Heckingbottom, added: “All I can say is that there’s no place for (biting),” he said. “Mistimed tackles, things like that are part and parcel of the game, you accept them, anything that is not has to be dealt with.”
Preston’s Sam Greenwood was also sent off after flooring Lewis Baker with a reckless two-footed lunge in the 42nd minute, but Eustace was sympathetic toward the Leeds loanee.
He said: “It looked a little bit high, but we have to remember it’s a local derby. Blood and thunder, bodies on the line, those are the kind of challenges you expect in a local derby.
Heckingbottom accepted the decision but demanded greater consistency over what constitutes a red card challenge.
“At the time, I thought he won the ball (and that it was a) yellow card,” he said. “He probably does, but the player’s leg gets trapped underneath.
“If they’re red (cards) that’s fine, but we just want to see that consistency. I’ve no problem with that.”
The North End manager felt his team did well to manage the game in different ways and even suggested the Greenwood sending-off may have made life harder for their opponents.
“We controlled the first half with the ball without having enough opportunities or getting behind them enough or getting enough clear-cut chances from the possession that we had,” he said.
“In the second half, we controlled the game in a different way. We controlled the game without the ball and, in that respect, it probably hurt Blackburn a little bit because they’ve been the best counter-attacking team in the league so far.”
Eustace admitted as much himself, revealing his annoyance at not carving out more chances.
“We didn’t create enough in the final third when they were down to 10 men,” he said. “That’s something we have to work on. We still had the best chance of the game.
“We limited them in the first half to no chances at all, apart from the header in the last minute, from which (Aynsley Pears) pulled a good save off. It’s a local derby. Form and quality kind of goes out of the window.”
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup debuts in USA, with a brand-new look. 32 top clubs will gather together to kick off the ultimate showdown among clubs. This edition brings you Group G preview, featuring Juventus FC (The Bianconeri of Serie A), Manchester City (The Sky Blues of the Premier League), Al Ain FC ( The Giants of UAE Pro League), Wydad Casablanca (The Powerhouses of Botola). European powerh...
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Welcome Thomas Frank Good bye Ange Postecoglou Accurate This Levels #12 Deep Message… €230m lolPlease stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: Justtoonit, FootballLaughss, NoContextChe1, originaltrollfootball)...
The Brazilian has signed a contract running until June 2030 following his move from Wolves.Matheus Cunha has been announced as a Manchester United playerCunha, 26, cost the Red Devils a stunning £62.5million from the West Midlands club.The forward will earn £200,000-a-week while at the club - making him the fourth highest earner in the squad.He has been pictured wearing the club's shirt ...
Napoli are reportedly targeting Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez for a summer move.The Reds broke their transfer record to sign Nunez from Benfica for £85million in 2022 but he is ready to leave Anfield after a lack of starting opportunities under Arne Slot.The 25-year-old scored seven times last season as Liverpool wrapped up the Premier League title and he is contracted until 2028. Saudi side...
SunSport exclusively revealed that Bradley Barcola is on Liverpool's radar in a blockbuster move.Bradley Barcola could be heading to Anfield this summerBarcola could be Mo Salah's long-term replacementWhile Viktor Gyokeres' rumoured strike and Jack Grealish's uncertain future have also hit the back pages.Our very own Will Pugh and Dean Scoggins share their thoughts on all the deals and speculation...
Darwin Nunez's Liverpool departure 'guaranteed'🚨🇺🇾 Darwin Nunez remains guaranteed exit at Liverpool this summer with Saudi Pro League clubs keen since January.Understand also Napoli have made contact in the recent days with Nunez on the shortlist and more talks to follow soon.Darwin, open to both Saudi-European options. pic.twitter.com/jT0O3gF0iu— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 12, ...
Tottenham's new head coach Thomas FrankTottenham have appointed former Brentford manager Thomas Frank as their new head coach, the club confirmed on Thursday.The Dane moves to north London on a deal until 2028, replacing Ange Postecoglou in the dugout after the Australian was sacked last Friday.Spurs paid a 310 million fee to release him from his Brentford contract, which had another two years lef...
Atletico Madrid near €20m deal for Theo HernandezAtletico Madrid are closing in on signing Milan full-back Theo Hernandez, reportedly raising their offer.The left-back has reportedly agreed to personal terms with the LaLiga club and moved closer to joining after Diego Simeone’s side raised their offer from €15 million (313m/$17m) to around €20 million (317m/$23m).Hernandez ...
Napoli plan raid for Liverpool's Nunez and Man Utd's Hojlund this summerNapoli are still pushing Liverpool for Darwin Nunez as well as Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund this summer.Napoli head coach Antonio Conte was reportedly convinced to stay at the side once he was told he would be backed by new signings this summer. One area of the pitch that needs to be strengthened is up front where ...
Gyokeres' agents meet with Arsenal directors ahead of summer moveSporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres is edging closer to a move to Arsenal as his agents held talks with the club.The 27-year-old is arguably the most in demand striker in the world at the moment after bagging 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting since joining in the summer of 2023. He has been wanted by both Manchester United and...
- 1 Portugal vs France Prediction 12 June 2025
- 2 Bryan Mbeumo 'picks between Man Utd and Tottenham' as transfer agreement struck
- 3 England player ratings vs Andorra: Cole Palmer disappoints as Kane bails out Tuchel
- 4 Bayer Leverkusen interested in shock move for Jack Grealish
- 5 Brazil vs Paraguay Prediction 11 June 2025
- 6 Daily Laugh - Morata : Me again?
- 7 Harvey Elliott opens door to Liverpool exit
- 8 Tottenham players fuming! Spurs facing player revolt as stars left furious by decision to brutally sack Ange Postecoglou after Europa League win
- 9 Transfer news: Jadon Sancho announces move as Liverpool confirm deal
- 10 'We are responsible for the results' - England boss Thomas Tuchel gives verdict on Tottenham's decision to sack Ange Postecoglou despite Europa League glory