GORDON STRACHAN has accepted Kevin Phillips' apology for his sending-off against Middlesbrough.
The Saints boss could have hit his £3.25m striker with a fine of around £30,000 (two weeks' wages), but has decided not to impose any financial penalty.
Phillips was sent off by referee Barry Knight in the final minute of Saturday's 1-0 defeat after kicking out at Boro defender Franck Queudrue, who had trodden on him.
The Saints boss said: "Kevin has been honest about the whole incident and has apologised to me.
"Everybody deserves a chance and sometimes it is a bit unfair to be clobbered for just a one-off mistake.
"It is not as if he is a persistent offender, if he was then he would not have escaped so lightly. But I am giving him the benefit of the doubt on this occasion and hope he learns from it."
Of Queudrue's part in the incident, Strachan added: "I am not interested in what other players may or may not have done, I am only concerned about my players."
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