Football: Three sent off

Millwall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

Leicester City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

MILLWALL'S Terry Hurlock, making his home debut after rejoining the club from Southampton, was sent off at the New Den yesterday along with his team-mate, Pat Van Den Hauwe, and Leicester's David Oldfield in the first half of what some saw as a violent First Division promotion match.

Mick McCarthy was one, however, who did not. The Millwall manager could not even remember a malicious tackle. 'I've seen more physical games, played in more physical games, where people haven't been sent off,' he said.

The Leicester manager, Brian Little, told his players to calm down at half-time, but not McCarthy. 'I didn't tell them to calm down. If nine players calm down against 10, you get your backside kicked,' he said.

Hurlock was dismissed after eight minutes for kicking Iwan Roberts. Van Den Hauwe followed in the 33rd minute for a forearm smash in the face of David Oldfield.

Six minutes later Leicester appeared to have two players sent off - Oldfield and Neil Lewis - following simultaneous fouls on Alex Rae and Phil Barber but, after Leicester queries, Lewis returned.

Football eventually surfaced in the second half, which saw Kasey Keller retrieve a chip from Roberts on the goal-line while a last-ditch Colin Hill tackle denied Millwall's Jamie Moralee. But the ugliness returned after the final whistle when David Speedie collected a punch in the face.

Millwall (4-4-2): Keller; Cunningham, Roberts, Van Den Hauwe, Dawes; Stevens, Rae, Hurlock, Moralee; Mitchell, Barber. Substitutes not used: Kerr, Verveer, Carter.

Leicester City (4-4-2): Ward; Coatsworth, Carey, Agnew, Lewis; Whitlow, Hill, Oldfield, Speedie; Roberts, Ormondroyd. Substitutes not used: Joachim, Gibson, Hoult.

Referee: D G Frampton (Poole).