Abbey Vale co-manager Allan Clark has slammed a costly red card call in Saturday’s Haig Gordon Cup clash.
Aiden McBurnie was sent off in the second half of the game for a challenge on St Cuthbert Wanderers’ Dillon Black with the scores level at 1-1.
And the dismissal paved the way for Saints to win 4-1 and progress.
Clark said: “I thought it was an even game up until the sending off. It completely changed the swing of the game and we were up against it after that.
“At 11 v 11 we were OK and the game could have gone either way. As soon as the sending off happened it changed the game completely.
“They scored the next goal and we had to go for it, meaning they caught us with two more goals.
“It was more or less a 50-50 challenge and our boy went to block the tackle. Studs were showing but their boy has followed through and caught the bottom of his studs.
“It was a foul but I wouldn’t even have said it was a yellow card.”
Mark O’Rourke opened the scoring for Saints in the first half but Robbie Ferguson equalised after the break.
But after McBurnie was sent off, Thomas Kelly, Russell Williamson and Ross Hunter all struck to send Saints through.
Although it was a defeat, Clark was able to take comfort in the performance against the league leaders, which came a week after a 3-1 loss at Threave Rovers.
He said: “They are two teams who you would have thought would have been up at the table, which is where we want to be.
“The performance levels and effort has certainly been there but decisions here and there have gone against us.”
The cup games continue on Saturday with Caledonian Braves coming to Maryfield Park in the League Cup.
Clark added: “It’s a bit of an unknown. We don’t know what they’ll send down.
“The last time we played them it was their first team, so we have still not played against their South team this year.
“It’s a cup we’re looking to try to do well in. There could be a few changes personnel wise but the team will still be strong enough to get a result.”
Creetown get their League Cup campaign under way on Saturday when they face Stranraer.
Their trip to Nithsdale Wanderers on Saturday was postponed.
