Shane Duffy has followed up his starring performance for Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday with a needless red card on Tuesday night.
Sandwiched between first-half goals in Brighton’s home game with Crystal Palace was a sending-off for Duffy for a headbutt on Palace’s Patrick van Aanholt.
With Glenn Murray down in the area moments after his opening penalty, Duffy took umbrage with something uttered by Van Aanholt and aggressively put his forehead against the Dutchman’s.
Referee Kevin Friend couldn’t have been better placed to see the forward motion from the Republic of Ireland international, who didn’t look surprised in the least when he was sent for an early shower.
Leon Balogun doubled the Seagulls’ lead shortly after the red card but Duffy’s suspension has given Brighton boss Chris Hughton an entirely avoidable headache.
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Florin Andone came up with a third for the hosts on the stroke of half-time so it’s looking like the only piece of criticism with which Hughton will be able to come up will be Duffy’s moment of madness.
The Derry-born defender is renowned for his heading ability in the air and new Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy will hope that that’s where his heading stays moving forward.
