Source: PA
City to appeal Balotelli dismissal
Roberto Mancini confirmed Manchester City will be appealing against referee Lee Probert's decision to send off match-winner Mario Balotelli in their 2-0 victory over West Brom at the Hawthorns.
Balotelli eased some of the pressure on his manager and fellow Italian Mancini by netting two goals in the first half which eventually proved enough to halt City's run of three successive defeats.
But the 20-year-old's afternoon turned sour after the break as he received a yellow card for a challenge on Marek Cech and was then given his marching orders within minutes following a tangle with Youssouf Mulumbu - who was also dismissed late on for scything down Carlos Tevez.
The straight red card shown to Balotelli left Mancini enraged and demanding an explanation from Probert.
"I absolutely do not agree with the referee about this sending-off," Mancini said.
"A red card for what? He played a fantastic game, he scored two goals, but the sending off was very strange. I want to know why it was a direct red card. For me this is not correct and the referee must explain."
