Furious Mark Robins is appealing Coventry City’s late red card after the manager claims Liam Kitching was the victim of “assault” after the final whistle at the CBS Arena.

The Sky Blues beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 courtesy of goals from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto but the Boxing Day game turned ugly on the final whistle when Owls’ centre-back Bambo Diaby clashed with Kitching, resulting in both sets of players squaring up before referee Oliver Langford showed straight red cards to both defenders.

Robins said he was “furious” after the game and protested his player’s innocence, going in to see the match officials after viewing the footage of the incident which, he says, proves his player did not reaction.

“I didn’t see what happened at the time but I have seen it back now and I am appealing that because there’s no way he can be sent off for that. No way!” he said, angrily in his post-match press conference. “The kid has come from behind him and it’s assault. He’s pushed him in the face, so where does he go? He can’t go anywhere because he has come into his space.

“So he’s pushed him and then stuck his head on his head. Kitch hasn’t reacted. Whether he put his hands up to stop it, I don’t know but it’s an attack. It’s ridiculous and then he’s come back for seconds, so I am 100 percent appealing it. I am furious, absolutely furious!

“The referee hasn’t seen it and he’s sent him off. So I have been to see the referee and told him to have a look at it again. He’s made that decision but, for me, that has to be overturned and I have got to be careful because I am furious. That really needs looking at.

“And if that doesn’t get overturned it’s a three game ban for what? For what, please tell me? And it shouldn’t take the edge off what was a really decent performance and a really good win.”