Tommy Elphick has spoken out following the challenge that saw him forced from the field during the 3-0 win over Franchise FC.
Speaking in the Bournemouth Evening Echo, Elphick is quoted as saying: "I have never experienced anything like it. I don’t know what it was with the guy but he acted like an absolute animal from the first whistle. I never wind up an opponent because I don’t think there is any need for it. He was doing things I don’t agree with. There was an incident before the sending off and he sparked that as well. The pair of us went in for a challenge and we ended up in a bundle on the floor before he tried to stamp on me. He was saying things which were inhumane and was like a man possessed. I saw the tackle coming and he had tried to do me two or three times before. I saw him out of the corner of my eye and he jumped off the floor with two feet. If my leg had been planted, there is no doubt in my mind that he would have snapped it in half. Hopefully, I got lucky but we will have to wait and see what the scan shows. I was attempting a pass but when I saw him coming for me, I managed to turn it into a tackle and, hopefully, that saved me from breaking my leg. He was totally responsible and was bang out of order to put another professional at that sort of risk. He was struggling to compete and wasn’t good enough for us. I think that was why he got himself so wound up. But if he thinks lunging two-footed at another player was the answer then he didn’t deserve to be on the same pitch as us. Nothing he can say can take away from what he did. Apparently, he tried to apologise but I didn’t see him and I hung around the ground. I was in reception and the players’ lounge and was in the changing room for a long time getting treatment. If he had really wanted to apologise, he would have found me".
A scan on Monday revealed that the extent of the injury is (thankfully) on bruising to the tibia and femur, which will mean 2-3 weeks out.
Source: Cherries MAD
Source: FOOTYMAD
