Maybury defends himself as calls for Fraser protection mount

Thursday 4 October 2012

T HE season is but a few months old yet referees have already issued eight bookings and one red card for fouls against Aberdeen's gifted youngster, Ryan Fraser.

Ryan Fraser has been the target of some unwanted attention this season. Picture: SNS

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Craig Brown says he wants officials to give greater protection to his talented 18-year-old and claimed that Alan Maybury should have been sent off for his challenge on the winger during Aberdeen's 2-1 win over Hibernian at Pittodrie.

Maybury, who spent five months on loan at Aberdeen last season, was booked instead but has defended himself against criticism over a tackle which he says "didn't look great" but was unintentional."I spoke to a few people after the game, former team-mates and the physio up there, and no-one was making a big thing of it at the time," he said. "I accept that it doesn't look great, but I felt it was a tackle to be won and there was no intention to injure anyone, there never is. My eyes were firmly fixed on the ball and I feel I won the ball and my momentum carried me through into the winger."It doesn't look great after I have won the ball and slid into him when the pictures are frozen on where my foot ends up. It all depends on how much you slow it down, put a magnifying glass on it and zoom in. I lunged in a wee bit but I felt I won the ball."Ross Tokely of Ross County, St Johnstone's Steven Anderson, Craig Reid of Morton, Hearts' Marius Zaliukas, David Van Zanten of St Mirren and Motherwell pair Shaun Hutchinson and Fraser Kerr have all been booked for fouls on Fraser, while Owain Tudur Jones of Inverness was dismissed for a challenge on the winger last month.Stephen Hughes, the Aberdeen midielder, said this week that Fraser will have to demonstrate he can cope with heavy treatment from opposition teams but Maybury refutes the suggestion that his play was somehow underhand."That's not the sort of picture I want painted of me. I am whole-hearted and committed. I said that when I signed here that's how I play and I think most fans appreciate that's how I play every week."I certainly don't go out to injure anyone but I am out to defend my corner for my team and that's the way I have always played."

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Maybury defends himself as calls for Fraser protection mount

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