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Former Premier League referee Peter Walton has explained why Southampton were not reduced to ten men against Newcastle United.

Miguel Almiron was leading a charge on the counter attack for the hosts but was halted by a foul from James Ward-Prowse, preventing what looked like a dangerous break for the Magpies.

However, despite the protests of the Newcastle players and members of the coaching staff, the England international was not dismissed from the field of play and was instead only booked.

That decision did not sit kindly with the supporters, who made their feelings heard, but Walton has explained why the decision was correct.

“I think it’s the right decision. The reason it’s the right decision is it’s far too away from goal and who knows what is to happen at that time. It’s not an obvious goalscoring opportunity and a yellow is the right call,” he told BT Sport.

“They understand the skill factor of Almiron and they probably could be justified by saying he could have got the ball and got through on goal but that’s not for Anthony Taylor to decide, he just looks at the rule book and says the distance is far too great for me to adjudge that to be an obvious opportunity.”