MARTIN O'Neill has quickly stamped on any talk of a rift with Stoke City boss Tony Pulis in the aftermath of Robert Huth's controversial sending-off during Saturday's defeat to Sunderland.

The two managers are at odds over the reaction of Sunderland midfielder David Meyler after his collision with Huth during the first half at the Britannia Stadium.

Pulis immediately rounded on Meyler, accusing him of over-reacting to get Huth dismissed.

O'Neill sprang to the defence of the 22-year-old Irishman yesterday, but still appeared to be in a conciliatory mood by stating: "I was talking to Tony afterwards and I knew what he was going to do. That's fine, that's totally his prerogative.

"But in this instance I will stick up for my player.

"If I thought any of my own players were out of order, I would like to think I would be able to come here and honestly give that assessment, but not in this case."

O'Neill, pictured below, maintains that referee Martin Atkinson was right to show Huth a red card after seeing a replay of his challenge, describing it as reckless.

"I hadn't had a chance to see the incident until Sunday," he explained. "I saw it and I still have exactly the same opinion. It's a reckless challenge.

"It's one that the referee sees very, very quickly and his opinion of it was my opinion at the time, that it was a red card.

"Now obviously, you can see he [Huth] has attempted to pull out at the end, but that's something the referee can't see in a split second, and he still catches Meyler, and Meyler on the way down has hurt himself.

"This idea that Meyler feigned an injury – I'm sorry, I know David and he's as brave as they come. He has had two horrendous injuries he is just recovering from, so from that viewpoint I think Tony is wrong."

City said footage and photographic evidence proved Meyler actually kicked Huth in the follow-through from his clearance.

But their appeal against the dismissal was rejected by an FA disciplinary panel yesterday, which means Huth will be banned for three games.

O'Neill agrees with Pulis's wider argument, meanwhile, that there is too much play-acting in the modern game aimed at getting fellow professionals punished.

The Stoke boss has called on players' union chief Gordon Taylor to take a lead by speaking directly to his members.

And O'Neill said: "I understand what Tony was saying from a general viewpoint because players do have a responsibility to try to keep fellow players on the field of play.

"Players have a responsibility themselves to stop play-acting. I totally agree with that point, but not in this case with David Meyler."

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