JAMES Hanson reckons he was fortunate to dodge the second red card of his career.

Hanson scored his first own goal on Tuesday when he inadvertently nodded home Gillingham’s winner.

It completed an eventful night for the big striker, who had earlier notched at the right end with only his second home league goal in a year.

But Hanson could have missed the game altogether if Saturday’s referee Gary Sutton had taken action for an elbow.

Sutton got plenty of decisions wrong in the Shrewsbury clash – and Hanson was relieved that he did not spot his accidental whack into the face of centre half Jermaine Grandison.

Hanson admitted: “I was probably fortunate to still be on because I did catch the guy. I obviously didn’t intend to do it but that one went for me and I stayed on the pitch.

“It’s just the way I play. You’ll catch people and the same thing often happens to me.”

Hanson has only been sent off once, when he was dismissed for a fracas with Bingley-born Jake Wright in a 5-0 win over Oxford five years ago. But that red card was promptly overturned on appeal.

Phil Parkinson has often praised Hanson’s honesty in jumping for headers without climbing all over defenders – which makes a mockery of the stats that label him one of the division’s “dirtiest” players’ for giving away so many fouls.

Hanson is used to getting few favours from officials who side with his marker and admits he is trying to become a bit more “cute”.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” he added. “I’ve just got to keep learning and try to buy my own free-kicks a bit more.

“It did help when Steady (Jon Stead) was here last year because he did tend to draw a lot of fouls. He was very good of that.

“I’ve got to take that on myself now. I’m getting more experienced every year and I’m sure I’ll pick it up and be all right.”

City have targeted another striker to cover the void left by Billy Clarke’s knee injury. With last season’s top scorer out for up to three months, Hanson knows the onus is on the remaining forwards to pick up the slack.

He said: “It’s a massive blow to lose Clarkey and I’m gutted for him. He’s a big player for us.

“He’d just got off the mark and obviously hoping to continue where he left off last year.

“It’s up to the rest of us now and we’ve got to keep working at it. Hopefully we can get some decent amount of service which we’ve been missing, if I’m honest, and that will give us more confidence to score goals.”

City will have a free week after Barnsley because of their Capital One Cup exit. With a bye in the first round of the JP Trophy, they don’t have another midweek match until the end of next month.

Hanson hopes they can use that break between games to their advantage.

“It’s difficult when you’re playing every Tuesday as well. You’re going to pick up niggles and injuries and it obviously helps if you can have a free week to get people out on the training ground.

“You can really go at it in games knowing we can get the right amount of rest during the week.

“Hopefully we can get up and running with a first win. We need a big performance now and then can refresh our batteries after that.”