Winger Lee Martin apologised to the rest of the Town squad after being sent off during last night’s 1-0 defeat to his former loan club Nottingham Forest last night. The 26-year-old was one of two Blues players to see red with defender Richard Stearman later dismissed for a second bookable offence having fouled Andy Reid.

Martin was issued his marching orders for a clash with Forest midfielder Henri Lansbury after the former Arsenal man had fouled him and told the club site: “I have to take full responsibility for the way I reacted. It shouldn’t have happened.

“The lad has come in on me and stamped on me while I’m on the floor. I pushed my arm out against him. It wasn’t malicious; it was ‘get off me’, that sort of thing. It was heat of the moment stuff.

“He made the most of it, which is disappointing, but like I said, I shouldn’t have reacted like I did.

“I’m gutted about it and apologised to the lads in the dressing room. I’ve got to sit out three games now when every game is crucial and that’s obviously a sickener.”

Martin felt he should have been awarded a spotkick earlier on in the half: “The first contact was outside but then the play carried on and they brought me down inside the box. It was a penalty.”

The midfielder will miss three games as a consequence of his third Blues red card - Fabian Wilnis, who was sent off four times with Town, is the only other Blues player to have picked up more, while Pablo Couñago, Sito and Alex Bruce have also go three - while Stearman will be banned for one game.

Photo: Action Images

LankHenners added 18:36 - Mar 6 HARRY10 = pedantic irritant.
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h32 added 18:49 - Mar 6 Having just seen both sending off incidents on Look East - all I can say is DIABO;ICAL REFEREEING OF THE HIGHEST ORDER. Where do they get these people from ?? ........
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menacinho added 19:09 - Mar 6 h32- true, the ref was poor, but Martin should never have reacted as he did, he should know better. What really makes me want to spit is how players always bleat on about how they never want to get a fellow professional sent off, then they go and roll around as if shot to try and con the referee.
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petermorris added 19:11 - Mar 6 HARRY10, I think you're missing the point of this admirable forum. It's an ITFC football site - not a chuffing English grammar lesson.
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Tufty added 19:46 - Mar 6 No he shouldn't have reacted but Lansbury looked like he had been shot Then pulled along the ground by a tractor, equally disgraceful but that's football at this level.
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Wickets added 20:21 - Mar 6 Yes you need to grow up Lee.
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tpsontour added 20:23 - Mar 6 For all those who cannot understand fans frustrated with Lee Martin, it is exactly 50 matches since he last scored for us - and he is supposed to be an attacking midfielder. As we are the division's lowest scorers, he's hardly coming up with assists galore either is he? He cost £1.7 million and the only thing he's been prolific at each season is accumulating red and yellow cards. We wouldn't be in a relegation scrap if he and Chopra had come remotely close to justifying their transfer fees or making the most of their undoubted abilities.

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Fatcatevans added 20:32 - Mar 6 He is quite dreadful. He adds nothing to the side re goals or assists? People praise him for giving 100 per cent. Wow that's the least we need. He is a liability who collects far more yellow and red cards than goals. Hopefully that's his last game for us
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Talbs77 added 20:33 - Mar 6 Couldn't agree with you more tpsontour. I find it umbeleivable fans are supporting this guy, what exactly has he done to deserve such loyalty? Will he be as loyal to fans and the club when he buggars off on a free transfer in the summer, becuase thats exactly what will happen, whether were in league 1 or the championship.
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JWM added 20:45 - Mar 6 I have to have a chuckle at some of the vitriol directed at Lee Martin! Feck me it was only a few months ago that people on here were praising him to high heaven when PJ was playing him in a different role. Just goes to prove how fickle some fans can be. Yes he got sent off but in mitigation he was provoked into it by a so called fellow professional. Its not the crime of the century so just get over it ffs!

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Talbs77 added 20:51 - Mar 6 Ok JWM you can keep loving him when were playing Yeovil next year! He was as unprofessional as the thicket that provoked him, and as previously stated by others, this isnt the first time. 2 wrongs dont make a right. And for your information, I'm struggling to remember the masses singing his praises during pj's time. In fact he has always got stick, some of it unjustified admitadly. Yeah he's a decent player and his comitment to the team cant be disputed as always works hard and gives 100%, but he's not consistant and ultimately not good enough, like a lot of our so called big signings from the past. Were scraping for our lives and were in the game last night until he got himself sent off, that dropped point/3 points could be crucial.

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PLEASELEAVEKEANE added 20:52 - Mar 6 So is he going to say sorry to the fans which he let down once again as he has done for the past 4 years his a pile of rubbish cant wait to see the back of him in the summer!!! fingers crossed we never see him in a town shirt again.
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JWM added 20:56 - Mar 6 Talbs i notice that you haven't bothered to even mention Stearman's red card which ultimately cost us the game gong down to 9 men! But I guess thats ok isn't it.
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Talbs77 added 21:00 - Mar 6 JWM from what I know, Stearman didnt turn round and strike a fellow footballer, in fact from what I heard his sending off was harsh. Was he unprofessional or unlucky?
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oioihardy added 21:31 - Mar 6 Not gonna lie. I think seeing a player in that way getting sent off shows how annoyed he is an how much he wants to win for the club ! I like seeing that sort of dedication to the team , just wish he didn't raise his arm !
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theobald1985 added 22:37 - Mar 6 wkj u need to have a long hard think about how u feel football should be played if u feel lee should be sent off.i think it was harsh to say ther least and palace player is a disgrace.15 years ago nobody would have thought this a sending off but now people say the think its a fair red.is red cards for things like this progress? i dont think so. more rubbish from fatcatevans who proves he knows nothing about the game on a all too regular basis. Martin is a good player mick thinks so and so have many others and he has usually played when fit exept when at loaned to charlton where he did very well. His work rate helps players around him and cresswell behind him and the goals and assists will come with confidence and support. get behind lee dont use him as somebody to abuse because you are unhappy with your own lives. I cant see any other explanation for mindless hatred of a player at a club you claim to support.midless fan hatred and diving are a scourge on the modern game and lee martin has been victin of both in the last 24 hours come on cut him some slack COYB

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orbell18 added 23:07 - Mar 6 What many of you fail to realise is that 700 fans traveled to watch this game, and before the sending off we were starting to be the better team, with good prospects of obtaining at least a point. However, a pathetic, sorry excuse of a footballer has ruined the game for everybody because, YET AGAIN, he can't control his temper. What good is someone who runs around like a headless chicken, can't distribute, is a weak tackler and can't finish. The best thing that came out of this game is that Lee Martin can't play for three games!

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lucytown added 00:34 - Mar 7 orbell18 - so would you be happy with someone standing over you stamping on your leg and then as you are getting up pinching you slyly on the back of the arm and that is where the elbow came from. I think we should be looking at the despicable Lansbury. And what other occasions are there where he has not controlled his temper? It was 0-0 until 84 mins so I don't think you can put the result completely down to Martin. Ok he should not have used an elbow but it was not raised at all and I was in full view of it.

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DiamondGezzer added 06:59 - Mar 7 For me personally, it's the divers and oscar winners that need hanging by their testicles from a great height, and receiving a ban of course !
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theobald1985 added 08:06 - Mar 7 orbell18 people like you are the problem not lee. lee did not deserve to be sent off so the ref spoiled the game not lee if ur looking for sum1 to blame try the poxy ref. support the players you never know u might just enjoy it
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Fatcatevans added 08:59 - Mar 7 Theobald1985 your constant defence of Martin is touching. are you related by any chance? Your input on here is about as useful as Martins for itfc. He adds nothing. Deal with it
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JWM added 12:39 - Mar 7 And there's me thinking that this is a football forum where all opinions are valid.
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orbell18 added 13:07 - Mar 7 Theobald1985/ Lucy Town - Perhaps you require glasses? Irrelevant of what Lansbury did, who I admit should have been disciplined, Lee Martin got up and elbowed him in the face which in the rule book is a straight red card, no arguments. The vast majority of footballers nowadays act as if they're on deaths door when they have been fouled, but its Lee Martin who gave Lansbury an excuse to do so, once again proving his incredible ignorance and selfishness. Do you not think 6 goals to 3 red cards is a pretty awful return on the transfer fee paid for him? It is also irrelevant what minute they scored in as it is the result at the end of the day that matters i.e. 3 points lost. Had you reacted like Lee Martin I highly doubt you'd still be in a job

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lucytown added 14:13 - Mar 7 orbell118 - it was in his side not his face - elbow was never raised so do you perhaps require glasses?
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theobald1985 added 14:21 - Mar 7 the fee payed for him is nothing to do with lee is it. if anything it was a complemnt to his ability as a player. i think some people on here ie fatcat evans and the poster above do not have the required football knowlege to respect the job he does.an awful lot of people think martin is a good player and many of these will be within the professional game. ana experienced manager like mcarthy recognised his value straight away and plays him whenever available and are record since mcarthy took over is good.this is not in spite of lee martin he has played his part like the rest and deserve are support not to be abused

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