Jamie Lawrence today pleaded his innocence after becoming the seventh City player to be sent off this season.

Lawrence was red-carded nine minutes from the end of last night's lively Yorkshire derby with Sheffield Wednesday.

The midfielder was dismissed for a second bookable offence after catching Paul McLaren with an elbow. But he claimed referee Alan Butler was influenced by Wednesday centre-half Danny Maddix.

Lawrence fumed: "I went to see if their player was all right and I knew the referee wasn't going to book me. But Maddix got me sent off by running over and having a go at him.

"Everyone at the club knows I'm an honest player and I don't go out to do people.

"I went up for a header and I've won the ball. You have to use your arms as leverage. I can't believe he sent me off."

Wednesday equalised from the free-kick to make matters worse for Lawrence, who now faces a ban for the Millwall home game on April 5.

He added: "I just got into the changing rooms when I heard their fans cheering. I was absolutely gutted.

"We ripped them apart in the first half hour but we knew they would come back at us. We just had to stay strong but I when I got sent off and it became 11 against ten, they had the advantage."