Ipswich boss Jim Magilton has proved an unlikely ally for City star Darren Huckerby after Sunday's red card incident at Carrow Road.Magilton says Huckerby's challenge on Jon Walters, which earned him a stoppage time dismissal, was unintentional.

Ipswich boss Jim Magilton has proved an unlikely ally for City star Darren Huckerby after Sunday's red card incident at Carrow Road.

Magilton says Huckerby's challenge on Jon Walters, which earned him a stoppage time dismissal, was unintentional.

The Blues boss said: “Darren is not a nasty player. He turned his head, while Jon kept his eyes on the ball and made contact with it.

“It happened right in front of me and was a forward's tackle. I don't believe it was intentional.”

Huckerby starts a three-match ban for tonight's Championship visit of Watford after becoming the fourth City player sent off this season.

City boss Glenn Roeder was reluctant to pass judgment until he had watched a replay of the tackle, but felt Huckerby may have instinctively been defending himself.

He said: “As I understand it, both players went in high. The lad Walters lifted his leg quite high as well. I'm just explaining the situation as I saw it without seeing the video. I was quite close and Darren's obviously got higher.

“My first thought was it looked nasty, and people who have seen it said he did raise his boot very high, and as he came in Walters had also got his boot high, so if he's going to get done it's almost perhaps a reaction to protect himself.”