West Ham United forward Taty Castellanos faces a spitting allegation that overshadowed a dramatic 2-2 comeback draw at Millwall. The incident, which occurred with the hosts leading 2-0 in the 65th minute, could result in a lengthy suspension for the 27-year-old if the Football Association finds evidence to support the claim. The draw keeps West Ham second in the standings, a position they will aim to consolidate in their next fixtures against Coventry City, having now taken 8 points from their last 4 league matches.
Millwall manager Alex Neil backed his goalkeeper's version of events, stating the club had lodged a formal complaint with the match officials. "I'm so far away so it's hard for me to see what happened," Neil said. "I wouldn't presume Fil would say that without cause, if you like, so I don't know."
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo offered a starkly different perspective, having not witnessed the alleged act. "I didn't see it, I didn't see it, so I am not going to comment on it," he said. The potential fallout is significant, as spitting offences typically carry a six-match ban, a suspension that would see Castellanos miss key games in the Championship campaign. His potential absence would be a blow, with the forward having contributed 2 goals and 1 assist this season according to the club's stats page.
The match itself was the first 'Dockers Derby' between the London rivals in 14 years and lived up to its fiery reputation. West Ham played the final stages with ten men after Mohamadou Kante was sent off, yet still fought back from two goals down. Konstantinos Mavropanos, the club's top scorer this season with four goals, headed in an 80th-minute equaliser, following Kante's own 74th-minute strike.
Despite the late rally, the focus post-match shifted firmly to the unsavoury allegation. Millwall's Filip Marschall, a 23-year-old making his league debut for the club, was the player allegedly targeted.
First reported at ca.sports.yahoo.com
