Bohemians manager Declan Devine was left to rue 'a mad decision' as Dylan Connolly was sent off in his side’s 1-0 Dublin derby defeat away to Shelbourne.
Shels claimed their first win of the season courtesy of a wonderful strike from substitute Kian Leavy, but the game hinged on the 67th minute red card for Connolly.
The Bohemians man had burst clear in a counterattack before being stopped by the retreating John Ross Wilson’s superb tackle.
Connolly got to his feet in frustration before appearing to body check the Shelbourne right-back and Arnold Hunter produced a straight red card.
Devine was highly critical of that decision and insisted that it was what ultimately decided the game.
"I think the decision has killed us," the Bohs boss told RTÉ Sport. "It’s right in front of the linesman and I understand and I’m not having a go here but it’s a poor mistake, it’s a really poor mistake.
"I’ve watched it back, it’s the first thing I’ve watched back and I’ve seen it live from 60 yards away from where the linesman and I knew then it wasn’t [a red card].
"We spoke all week as a group about not giving the officials an easy decision. We knew it was a derby game and we knew it was going to be feisty and I spoke to my players and I trust every one of them not to do something reckless.
"Ultimately it’s a mad decision when you when you see the sending off back, it’s a mad decision.
"My player has got barged into by one of their players and he’s saying he smashed him around the face, I just don’t see how it could be given.
"It’s halfway through the second half and we were the team in the ascendancy. I still feel even with the 10 men we were the team in the ascendancy and we had a couple of half-chances.
"Shels scored with their only shot on target and ultimately, well done to them, good luck. But I think there was a really unfair decision that cost us."
Meanwhile Shelbourne manager Damien Duff was in little doubt that the referee made the right call and he paid tribute to his side for keeping their heads in a fiery encounter.
"It’s a Dublin derby, it’s going to be chaos and I guess it’s all about staying calm in chaos and that’s maybe what changed the game.
"[It was] a great tackle by JR on Connolly, I think he’s raised his hands, it’s a red card.
"Did that win us the game? We’ll never know but we’ve won, three points, brilliant win."
