Todd Cantwell says Norwich City colleague Timm Klose doesn’t need to apologise after taking a red card for his team in the hope of keeping alive the FA Cup dream against Manchester United.
Cantwell had equalised for the Canaries with a fine strike in the 75th minute and the hosts were in the ascendancy from then on in the quarter-final behind closed doors at Carrow Road.
However, Ben Godfrey mistimed a tackle as Bruno Fernandes back-heeled a pass on the edge of the City box in the 89th minute and Klose hauled down Odion Ighalo to see red, with United eventually snatching the win through Harry Maguire with two minutes of extra-time remaining.
“Timm was given a decision to make within seconds,” said Cantwell. “He took a decision to take him out because he probably would have gone through and scored anyway.
“I don’t think anyone can really point the finger at him for that. It was obviously a good flick, there’s little bits in and around it. He had to make a decision and he made one. We’ll always support our players.”
Having won at Tottenham on penalties in the fifth round, Daniel Farke’s team went agonisingly close to another shoot-out chance - as City chased a first FA Cup semi-final since 1992.
“There’s definitely pride in there,” the goal-scorer continued. “We were right up against them until Timm got sent off and I think I and the other players believe that if we had 11 v 11 for the remainder of that game we probably could have kicked on and taken the win for ourselves.
“I think what’s more disappointing is just to concede so late on, after we defended so well. There were three minutes left to play and that’s what’s hurt everyone more.”
Cantwell had a bit of cramp so was replaced by Tom Trybull in the 90th minute as Alex Tettey dropped into defence following Klose’s dismissal, after a 4-5-1 formation had worked well for City prior to that flashpoint.
“I think it worked well,” the England Under-21 midfielder said of that more defensive shape. “We had allowed Man Utd to have more of the ball than we would have liked, but they have quality players all over the pitch.
“Sometimes you have to respect that and sit in to a tight shape and be hard to break down - and I think we did that.
“For a team like Man Utd, in the form they’re in, to only concede two goals in 120 minutes with 10 men for 30 minutes speaks for itself really.”
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