EDDIE Howe is walking a disciplinary tightrope after picking up his fourth booking of the season last night.

Howe was cautioned by referee Steve Tomlin for kicking the ball away after he had been penalised for a foul on Port Vale's Chris Killen.

Erroneously listed in last night's programme as having already collected four bookings, Howe is now just one yellow card away from earning a one-match suspension.

Howe, also booked against Huddersfield, Reading and Oldham, said: "I thought I got booked for nothing, but I'm not going to criticise the referee because he's trying to do his job and he did what he thought was right. He said I had kicked the ball away, but I was passing it back to Jason Tindall because I didn't think it was a free-kick."