Richard Foster is adamant Mouhamed Niang’s lunge on Yosuke Ideguchi was NOT a red card offence.
And he reckons the challenge was made to look worse due to the Celtic midfielder not being as committed as his Alloa Athletic rival in the Scottish Cup fourth round clash.
The new Japanese signing was forced off after Niang - sent off after 25 SECONDS in a game earlier this season - caught him late on the ankle with his studs.
Referee Don Robertson only flashed a yellow card at the Senegalese midfielder and it was branded a “leg-breaker” by Michael Stewart.
But speaking on BBC Sportscene Partick Thistle full back back Foster defended his Firhill team-mate, who is on loan at the Wasps.
He said: “I don’t think it is (a sending off offence). It’s a strong tackle and he wins the ball.
“The main thing is, and what I got taught as a youngster, is that if you go in for a 50-50 you’ve got to go in at the same speed and intensity as the other player.
“Ideguchi actually tries to pull out of it so he’s slowing himself down and Mouhamed Niang is coming right through the ball.
“It’s a strong, strong tackle but it would have been very harsh. If the two players had gone in together at the same (speed) you would have seen an old fashioned 50-50 tackle and nobody would have got hurt.
“But by slowing himself down he allows himself to be on the end a very, very sore one.”
