Birmingham manager Alex McLeish revealed midfielder Craig Gardner has apologised after being sent off for allegedly diving during the 1-1 home draw with Wolves.
Gardner had already been yellow carded after reacting angrily to being on the receiving end of a challenge from Wolves midfielder Jamie O'Hara but he then was sent off for a second bookable offence by referee Kevin Friend after allegedly going to ground too easily when challenged by Jody Craddock.
McLeish said: "Craig dived. He already had a booking and that leaves you treading on thin ice. "Craig is devastated in the dressing room and at half-time he has apologised to his team-mates and we now miss him for a couple of games."
He added: "But I was thinking he was diving to get out of the way because he had been booted about three or four times just before that.
"A Richard Stearman tackle on him on the edge of the box never got a booking and then O'Hara caught him.
"I think he was diving to get out of the way but we don't condone the diving element, and especially when you are on a yellow card.
"I was more annoyed at the first yellow card Craig got. It put him under pressure by reacting to a tackle.
"You've got to let the referee deal with these things. Stay down."
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy felt his side missed an opportunity to climb out of the relegation zone.
"Our position overall has deteriorated because there is a game less to go. That is blatantly obvious. It is a missed opportunity against 10 men but they have stuck at it and not given us too many chances."
Source: PA
