IT was a striker’s tackle if ever there was one.

DJ Campbell arrived after the ball had gone and slid in to foul Aaron Cresswell during Blackburn Rovers’ 3-1 defeat at Ipswich Town last Tuesday night.

Cresswell had cleared the ball up the line from his position on the left and Campbell was committed to a challenge and collided with the Ipswich defender sending him sprawling.

It was a clear yellow card.

The 32-year-old was late and although it was not high or two-footed it was certainly a poor enough challenge to warrant a caution.

Referee Fred Graham saw the incident and duly booked Campbell for the foul – there were no complaints from the Rovers striker as he accepted his punishment.

That was that.

No-one batted an eyelid.

It did not warrant a mention in the match report in the Lancashire Telegraph the following day, such was its innocuous nature.

There could be a myriad of reasons as to why Campbell made the tackle.

He was back in the side after a lengthy absence through injury and suspension and he was playing against one of his former clubs. He enjoyed a productive and prolific spell at Ipswich last season.

You could put it down to over-exuberance.

Except there is now an allegation that something more sinister was going on.

Campbell has been arrested and bailed until April after claims emerged that he had deliberately got himself booked at Ipswich as part of a spot-fixing scandal.

The incident occurred just inside Ipswich’s half with the home side leading 1-0 at the time.

Campbell was making his first Rovers start since March having picked up an ankle ligament injury in the summer before being sent off on his return to the side as a substitute at Blackpool.

The former QPR man was replaced on 76 minutes by Rudy Gestede.

Of course Campbell is innocent until proven guilty, and we won’t know until April what the next chapter in this case holds.

One thing is for certain, it is the last thing Rovers needed just when they looked to becoming a more stable club given the turbulence of the last few seasons.

The club deserves a break.