Chris, who now faces suspension for the trip to Coventry, was red carded for a tackle on Micah Hyde but says that winning the ball will always be integral to his game.
"It is a side to my game that I have had since I turned full time; I haven't gone to injure their player, I went for the ball, and I honestly didn't even think it would be a free kick," he insists.
"The players intimidated the ref a little bit, it has gone from one extreme to the other, and I couldn't believe it.
"I have always thought of myself as a quite a hard tackler but I always go for the ball and hopefully that is what will have been shown on camera.
"The fans were helpful when I went off and made it as easy as they could; it was a horrible experience but the fans being on my side helped me.
"The players, such as Nigel Reo-Coker, were really helpful as well and told me not to worry about it.
"It is hard to deal with but the manager has spoken to me about my disciplinary record before and he will speak to me next week.
"But there is no way at any time and at any level that you can't go for the ball if it is there to be won."