Oxford United winger Chris Hackett has dismissed claims of being a dirty player following his red card misdemeanour against Grimsby Town at the weekend.
The 22-year-old was sent off for the fourth time in his career for a two-footed lunge on Andy Parkinson as the Us were beaten 3-2 by Town, and now faces a three-match ban. But he insists he doesn’t deserve his bad-boy reputation.
‘People who know me know I’m not that kind of player,’ he said. ‘It was a heat-of-the-moment thing and I’ve had a lot worse on me, I can tell you.
‘I feel a little bit hard done by to have got sent off, but you’ve to get on with it and move on. I might have lunged to win the ball, but there was no malicious intent.’
Meanwhile, Oxford’s second-string remain winless this season after slipping to a 2-1 defeat at home to Leyton Orient.
United, who included Jon Ashton, Mark E’Beyer and Tom Winters in their side, fell behind after only six minutes when Efe Echanomi prodded home Wayne Carlisle’s free-kick.
Ashton levelled the scores midway through the first-half, powering home E’Beyer’s cross from close range.
But Echanomi sealed the win for the Os adding his second of the game from the edge of the box.
