JOE MORRELL was sent off for a shocking tackle during Wales’ Euro qualifier defeat against Turkey that had fans fearing for his victim.
The Welsh midfielder lunged high into Turkey star Ferdi Kadioglu with his studs showing and caught the defender.
Referee Fabio Maresca was left with little option but to give Morrell his marching orders.
And the Portsmouth star left his Wales team a man down before the end of the first half.
SunSport’s referee expert Mark Halsey branded the 41st minute challenge ‘a nailed on red card which endangered the players’ safety’ as Morrell caught Kadioglu with the high boot when stretching.
The red card proved costly for Wales as Turkey substitute Umat Nayir headed home a 72nd minute opener before Arda Guler’s curler into the top corner eight minutes later ramped up the pressure even more on under-fire boss Robert Page.
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Fans were quick to react to the tackle on social media.
One viewer claimed: “Joe Morrell just stopped some Turkish player having kids 🟥 Card for Morrell.”
A second tweeted: “Ridiculous from Morrell. Just daft.”
A third wrote: “Silly from Morrell. Game is gone.”
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A fourth commented: “And I hope that’s the last time we ever see Morrell in a Wales kit.”
A fifth said: “Wales reduced to 10 men yet again! A straight red from the ref after a foolish challenge from Joe Morrell. Not good at all.”
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Former Wales striker Nation Blake slammed the challenge as “dangerous” and was unable to defend Morrell.
He told BBC Radio Wales: “It is hard to defend that, it is so high, that is a dangerous tackle no matter how you try to dress it up.
“That has absolutely swung this game in Turkey’s favour.”
On a chaotic night in Samsun, Turkey had two goals disallowed by VAR while Danny Ward saved a second half penalty to deny Inter Milan’s Hakan Calhanoghlu.
At the halfway stage of qualification, Page’s men, who have now won just one match in their last 12, are five points behind Group D leaders Turkey.
Armenia, who stunned the Dragons with a 4-2 win in Cardiff last Friday, are second after beating Latvia last night.
And 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Croatia, who did not play this month due to their Nations League involvement, are also above Wales despite only playing two matches.
Page’s side are now fourth in the table and any hope of qualifying for Germany may come through a possible play-off if they can recover to finish third in the group.
But Wales’ ill-discipline also cost them dearly with Morrell’s red card the third in the last six internationals.
This follows Wayne Hennessey’s sending off against Iran in Qatar and the dismissal of Kieffer Moore in the Armenian humiliation last Friday.
For spells, Wales were much more compact and had better control than the shambolic performance against Armenia.
But, once they went down to ten men, you could only see one result coming as the storm clouds continued to gather at a rain-soaked Samsun.
Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham was relieved when his ninth-minute own goal was ruled out by VAR for offside against Turkey right-back Zeki Celik in the build-up.
But, once they went down to ten men, you could only see one result coming as the storm clouds continued to gather at a rain-soaked Samsun.
Ward kept Wales in it with his low stop to his right to save from the Turkey captain Çalhanoglu after Aaron Ramsey’s handball.
Umut thought he had scored the opener when he tapped in after Ward parried but VAR ruled the striker had handled.
But there was no denying Umut when he rose highest above Mepham to head home despite Ward getting a hand to the effort.
Then Guler sealed victory when he curled a beautiful left-footed shot past Ward into the top far corner to sink Wales – and possibly Page with more questions now to be asked over his future.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
