OPINION
Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane is surely hiding behind the sofa with Adrian Durham on the hunt for answers over the 28-year-old not being banned.
The midfielder seemed to swing out at Mateusz Klich during the Villans’ 1-1 draw with Leeds on Sunday but when the FA’s statement about retrospective action emerged on Tuesday, there was no mentioning of the player getting a ban.
Telegraph journalist John Percy then clarified, via his personal Twitter account, that there would be officially no action taken against Hourihane despite his actions.
#lufc striker Patrick Bamford has been charged with “successful deception of a match official” by the FA & is facing a 2-match ban. #avfc winger Anwar El Ghazi’s “red card” for violent conduct has been rescinded. No retrospective action will be taken against Conor Hourihane
— John Percy (@JPercyTelegraph) April 30, 2019
“#lufc striker Patrick Bamford has been charged with “successful deception of a match official” by the FA & is facing a 2-match ban,” wrote the reporter.
“#avfc winger Anwar El Ghazi’s “red card” for violent conduct has been rescinded. No retrospective action will be taken against Conor Hourihane.”
Upon this news breaking it’s fair to say while Hourihane was wiping the sweat from his brow over not being banned, Durham wanted answers for why the midfielder hadn’t been punished.
“He’s got away with one there,” said Durham on talkSPORT (16:51, Tuesday April 30th).
“Would you say it was a punch, I mean he hasn’t pulled back his arm and swung it but it’s a dig in ribs.
“I liked to know whoever made that decision from the FA panel whoever it is, I want to know how they feel if it happened to them? They’d be okay that it’s not violent conduct? They wouldn’t have a problem?
“That is a really weird decision, a strange decision.”
Given that Durham is spot-on to be baffled over the FA’s decision and seeking answers, Hourihane is likely grimacing as there’s no way he can speak out and support the decision regarding him.
The 28-year-old is an experienced player and clearly knows what he did was unacceptable and that there’s no place for it on the football pitch.
So with that mind is fair to say Hourihane is likely hiding behind his sofa as he knows he has gotten away with one and should be thanking his lucky stars that he is not set to be stuck on the sidelines or that he has deal with a confused Durham.