Referee 'forgot' he had already booked Harrogate Town's Luke Armstrong, claims Alex Pattison after Tranmere Rovers defeat
With the game still goalless, referee Darren Handley showed the Sulphurites' top-scorer two yellow cards in the space of as many minutes, reducing Simon Weaver's team to 10 men.
Having seen fit to book Town's 13-goal striker for catching Peter Clarke just past the midway point of the opening period, the Lancashire-based official made an even worse decision moments later.
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Hide AdArmstrong and Clarke competed for the ball in the air, with the Rovers defender appearing to get his opponent in a headlock in the process of pulling him to the ground. As the Harrogate forward got to his feet, Handley dished out a second caution.
But Pattison has explained to the Harrogate Advertiser that the man in the middle revealed after the incident that he had not realised that Armstrong was already on a booking, despite having carded the 25-year-old less than two minutes earlier.
"It's completely ruined the game. Luke has been sent off and it is a disgrace, to be honest," the former Wycombe Wanderers midfielder said.
"The referee said he had forgotten that he had already booked Luke the first time. He said that he's booked Luke for that one [the second yellow] to nip it in the bud between him and Clarke, who brought him down and had him in a headlock, but didn't get booked for that.
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Hide Ad"So he's forgot that he's given Luke the initial booking and then realised after he gave him the second one.
"I'm very annoyed. Everything we've given today and we've come away with nothing. It's not a good feeling at all."
Having reviewed footage of the incidents in question, and the call to award Tranmere a 63rd-minute penalty, Harrogate boss Weaver described Handley's decision-making on the night as "unfathomable".
That view is shared by 24-year-old Pattison.
"We have watched it back and there's literally no excuse for giving him a second yellow card," he added.
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Hide Ad"It's not even a yellow card in the first place. We've lost a man and it's completely ruined the game for us when we've given our all.
"The referee has also given a penalty which, in my opinion, it's not a penalty, it's soft. If he gives that, he has to give one every week."
Despite losing Armstrong with just 27 minutes on the clock, Town made it through to half-time unscathed but fell behind shortly after the resumption when Lewis Warrington struck.
Kane Hemmings' penalty then wrapped things up, defeat dropping the Sulphurites down to 16th in the League Two standings.