Alex Kenyon: Tough tackling is going out of the game

Morecambe midfielder Alex Kenyon believes tough tackling could soon be a thing of the past.
Alex Kenyon. Picture: Matt RushtonAlex Kenyon. Picture: Matt Rushton
Alex Kenyon. Picture: Matt Rushton

The combative Kenyon has seen his red card rescinded for a challenge on Carl McHugh in The Shrimps’ 2-0 defeat to Plymouth on Good Friday.

Despite the authorities seeing sense the former Lancaster City man admits there is a worrying trend developing, especially at the top level.

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The 23-year-old said: “If I can’t tackle like that then what can you tackle like?

“You’ve got to then take every tackle into consideration, whether to in hard or not if people are going to send you off for things like that.

“In the top leagues I’d say tackling is going out of the game. It’s a worry.”

The news that he wouldn’t serve a three-game ban was bittersweet for Kenyon with the red card having all but ended Morecambe’s chances of a positive result against promotion-chasing Argyle.

He said: “It’s very good news.

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“I got a phone call off the gaffer saying that we’d appealed and won.

“I was very pleased with that. When I made the tackle I didn’t think it was a red card. I’ve always stood by that and this just proves that it wasn’t.

“It did affect the game on Friday though.

“We didn’t start well and we knew that but we grew into the game and if he hadn’t have sent me off maybe we could have built on it further.

“But he has ruined the game with that. It is annoying because I didn’t play the second half and I would have done had they looked at it like they have done now.”

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Kenyon feels the red card was the latest bit of bad luck to go against The Shrimps this season, their recent run now standing at just one win in the last 13 games.

He said: “We started well but since Christmas we’ve struggled to pick up results.

“But the performances have been there which is frustrating because everyone wants to win.

“We’ve just not had the rub of the green like on Friday when there was the red card and Shaun (Miller) was brought down in on goal.

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“Little decisions have gone against us but we’ve all stuck together, all dug in and hopefully we can finish strongly.”

This Saturday, The Shrimps look to be in for real test against Martin Allen’s Barnet, last year’s Conference champions having secured their League 2 safety with a 2-1 win over Luton on Monday. 
Jim Bentley’s side on the other hand are 12 points clear of the bottom two with eight games to play.

Kenyon said: “Down there it was tough and it was a good little battle.

“Hopefully we’ll get the win on Saturday. I don’t think we’re in a relegation battle. I think we’re safe but a couple more wins would be nice.”