GARY Waddock feels Emile Acquah will learn from the red card he received at Gillingham.

The 19-year-old striker was sent off just 11 minutes after entering the action.

And Waddock - Blues’ caretaker boss - felt Acquah showed his inexperience after picking up two yellow cards in

“Unfortunately for Emile he picked up the red card and he was probably a little bit naïve,” said Waddock.

“We wanted a presence up front and he certainly gave us that.

“But two or three challenges ultimately cost him and us as well as we went down to 10 men

“He will learn from it but unfortunately he stepped over the mark.

“He’s a young lad developing and even though it’s a bad experience it’s one he will learn from.”

Blues have now been shown three red cards in their last seven games after Isaac Hutchinson was sent off at Leyton Orient in the Leasing.com Trophy and Nathan Ralph was shown two yellow cards during the 1-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley at Roots Hall.

Acquah will now serve a one match suspension, ruling him out of Saturday’s clash with fellow strugglers AFC Wimbledon at Roots Hall.

Acquah was called back into the Shrimpers squad after Brandon Goodship picked up an illness the night before the game which forced him to drop out of the squad for the League One encounter at the Priestfield Stadium.

Central midfielder Sam Mantom also missed Saturday’s game at Gillingham with a hamstring injury.