'Surely' - Gavin Cowan's reaction to Shrewsbury Town appeal debate

Shrewsbury Town boss Gavin Cowan expects the controversial red card dished out to starlet Kian McMahon-Brown in Saturday’s draw at Rotherham to be overturned.

The 18-year-old loan star was given his marching orders late on in the topsy-turvy 3-3 draw against the Millers.

Attacker McMahon-Brown was on the receiving end of a poor tackle before raising his hands to the chest of Joe Rafferty, who hit the ground dramatically.

Cowan was at a loss to explain the dismissal and expected an appeal to be lodged against a three-match ban as a result of the decision by referee James Oldham, who also sent off Rotherham’s Kian Spence in the first half.

“I obviously have to ask our football club but for me it’s not even a conversation,” Cowan said of an appeal.

“The powers that be ... we’ll have to respect their decision. If there’s any justice maybe they’ll be speaking to their lad about his tackle. That I can’t control.

“But surely, surely common sense has got to prevail on that one?

“In the moment - the referee’s have had a hard job. That was a level of incompetence, but he may’ve been unsighted, I don’t know what his version will be. I let Dave Edwards go to deal with that because I’m probably not in the right headspace at the moment.

“Surely if we’ve got anything left in football that one has to be overturned, of course.”

It has not yet been officially confirmed whether Shrewsbury’s appeal has been lodged with Football Association chiefs.

McMahon-Brown’s dismissal was Town’s third in three games after Isaac Fletcher and Jay Turner-Cooke were sent off in the recent Croud Meadow success over Bristol Rovers. The pair have subsequently missed the last two games.

Shrewsbury welcome Everton under-21s to the Meadow on Tuesday night in the EFL Trophy. For in-form Town, who are still pointless, it is a final group fixture. Everton have played one game fewer.

Cowan’s side must win to retain any hopes of qualification.