Swanson rejects diving claim

Saints manager Derek McInnes launched a scathing attack on Swanson for his role in Steven Anderson's 15th-minute red card - stating he was "100% sure" the United player dived after viewing footage of the incident.

Swanson said: "He did catch me. It was his third tackle and I thought he could have been away for the first or the second one. I kind of read him coming in and took a fall. I wouldn't say I dived."

He added: "I thought he did catch me. I have been knocked, I felt a contact and went down. I knocked it far in front of me, I saw the leg and went over it.

"The gaffer called it before the game, he said that if you get running at them someone will get sent off. That's what I did and that's what happened.

"I don't want to get people sent off but I want to do as much to help my team as possible. My game is to run at players, commit them and let them bring me down. If not I go through.

"As I say, I don't want to see people sent off but that's football. I've been sent off in the past for things when I didn't deserve it.

"To be fair to him, he didn't moan at me. He said 'You've dived there' but I told him he caught me and shrugged it off. The St Johnstone players were more interested in the referee instead of me. It was a red card and it changed the game."

McInnes - who was sent to the stand by referee Mike Tumilty following Johnny Russell's controversial first-half opener - pulled no punches in his condemnation of Swanson.

He said: "I was 100% sure Danny Swanson dived and having seen it on video, that's exactly what happened. He overran the ball, stuck his right leg into Steven Anderson, who is backing off and defending like someone who has just been booked, and Swanson has thrown himself."

Source: PA

Source: PA