Derby dust-up prompts suits into action

It's slapped wrists and smacked bottoms all round, with both ourselves and the Mackems having been landed with an FA charge for failing to control our players during Sunday's derby game. The flashpoint was James McClean's foul on Danny Simpson, which riled our man into a response and sparked a short-lived fracas.

It's an offence of which we've already been found guilty once this campaign, and while I fully expect the same result, the FA shouldn't ignore the fact that our dishonourable visitors were the firestarters - the Silver Fox was spot on in angrily denouncing Lee Cattermole's first-minute assault on Mr T as setting the tone. Unsurprisingly, Martin O'Neill has rejected that assessment, claiming it's "an extraordinary analysis of the game" and pointing to the foul and booking count. Yes, the stats are all fine and well, Martin - but that hardly takes into account the severity and violence of the challenges. Ours were petty, the Mackems' were frequently ugly.