SUNDERLAND manager Lee Johnson lodged an appeal against his FA charge for his role in a touchline melee in the 3-1 defeat to Lincoln City last week.

Johnson was sent off for being involved in a physical confrontation when defender Callum Doyle lunged into a tackle and prompted an angry reaction from the Lincoln players.

The Black Cats boss attempted to intervene to protect his teenage defender as tempers flared at the Stadium of Light.

Johnson was the only person involved to be sent off by the referee and was subsequently charged by the FA. The Black Cats boss had until 6pm tonight to lodge the appeal and believes him being the only man sent off for the altercation bodes well in his favour.

He said: “Obviously I can’t take too much about it but I’ve asked for a personal hearing.

“It has to be submitted by six o’clock tonight so I’ve done a lot of due diligence into making sure that my point is heard.

“It’s difficult situation but when something like that arrives on your door step, it’s not easy not to protect a young lad that’s on the floor.

“I’m not blaming anybody for sending anyone off. I can understand the thought process behind it but the reality is there probably could have been about eight people sent off at that moment in time.

“I think I’ve got a good chance of getting off with it because, I can’t say too much about it, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable force that I used and I wasn’t ever an aggressor.

“It was to try and protect and peace make.”