Robinson jumps to the defence of Dunne following ‘no malice’ tackle on Biereth
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson insists there was "absolutely no malice" in Charles Dunne's tackle which left Motherwell's Mika Biereth out for three months with a knee injury.
Well boss Stuart Kettlewell was angry that Dunne had seen only yellow for what he called an "absolutely horrendous tackle" on the Arsenal loanee in the 1-0 Viaplay Cup defeat in Paisley last week.
And when he spoke ahead of
Motherwell's cinch Premiership game against Kilmarnock tomorrow, he said: "My opinion hasn't changed. I hear some ridiculous arguments of 'ah, but he took the ball'... If you have to come through the player and both your legs are wrapped around the standing leg..."
Dunne, who used to play for Motherwell, revealed on social media that he reached out to Biereth to apologise and said: "I only had eyes for the ball and won the ball, but unfortunately I slipped, that's what caught him."
At St Mirren's pre-match media conference for the visit of Aberdeen on Sunday, Robinson backed his player up and indeed noted a challenge on the Buddies' Ryan Strain in the same Viaplay Cup game while also referring back to the knee injury Jonah Ayunga picked up against Motherwell in January which still keeps him out.
The Northern Irishman said: "I spoke to Stuart after the game. There is no animosity. He was obviously annoyed, he has lost one of his best players.
"There is absolutely no malice, he has got the ball and slipped with his back leg. I am sure if Stuart sees it back with the angle I have seen it he will know that.
"We had a similar incident with Jonah against Motherwell and he ends up being out nine months. There was no malice or intent in that tackle.
"These things happen in football unfortunately without any malice or intent.
"There is another tackle straight after that nobody seemed to mention that was a heck of a lot worse, that we werethankfulthatryanstrain didn't get injured from but we move on, that's football.
"Charles is a super boy. There is no malice in Charles.”