Albion Rovers boss Brian Reid branded the decision to show Kyle Fleming an early red card in their defeat to Dumbarton "ridiculous".
Referee Steven Kirkland brandished a straight red for the Rovers man after what Reid claimed was a '50/50' challenge with Sons midfielder Findlay Gray in the 21st minute.
Rovers were leading 1-0 thanks to Lewis Kidd's opener four minutes earlier and the game-changing decision infuriated Reid, who watched his side concede an equaliser to a Stuart Carswell penalty moments later before Ryan Wallace netted a winner for Sons two minutes from time.
The gutted Cliftonhill gaffer said: "Sometimes you don't get what you deserve in football because we could have been a couple of goals ahead before the red card.
"For me, it's a ridiculous decision. It's never a red card in your life.
"It's just two players coming together. My player is just looking at the ball, they both kick each other's foot. It's a 50/50, nothing more.
"Even a yellow card would have been harsh because there's no malice or intent.
"A straight red for that is just unbelievable.
"The whole game turns on that.
"It gives them a lift and then they get a penalty a couple of minutes later.
"I've not seen it back yet, but it looked soft. I don't think there's much in it.
"All of a sudden, from us being in a position where we should be 2-0 up, we are 1-1 and a man short.
"Even then, you wouldn't have known we were the team with 10 men. I thought we were the better team and our goalkeeper has had hardly anything to do.
"Then we get the old sucker punch late on.
"A cross into the box deceives everyone and their boy runs across the goalkeeper and it goes into the far corner.
"It's a sore one to take but the positives are we are playing well.
"I'd rather play not so well and pick up points because that's us sitting on zero points when we could have been on six.
"It's about trying to win games and we need to start finding a way to do that."
Rovers now sit bottom of League Two and are the only team in the division without a point ahead of hosting East Fife on Saturday.
Reid added: "We worked hard, we passed it better, we created chances- and I was more disappointed with this result than the previous Saturday at Stenhousemuir.
"But that's us played two of the supposed favourites in the league and we have actually been, in my opinion, the better two in both games.
"We should take confidence and belief from that and turn things around."
Rovers now host Celtic B in round one of the SPFL Trust Trophy.
And Reid admits injuries will force him to ring the changes.
"I've got four or five players missing for the Celtic game so we'll have some enforced changes," he revealed.
"We were missing Ayrton Sonkur and Michael Paton for Saturday there, so that's two big players already missing.
"Then we've got Lewis Kidd carrying a groin injury so he's struggling, McGowan has got a wee tweak as well, so there's not really any choice in making changes.
"Max Wright is back but he missed the whole of pre-season. He's been on the bench so far but he's not had one minute of football so he could be involved to get him back in.
"Paton's injury isn't as bad as we first thought.
"It seems like it's just his nerve in his hamstring so we are hoping he'll be okay soon.
"He's been back doing light jogging so hopefully he won't be too long.
"Saturday [against East Fife] might be too soon for him though.
"We just want a wee bit of luck. With the luck we are getting at the moment, it's like someone up there doesn't like us because it's unbelievable the luck we are getting with injuries and decisions going against us.
"We are due a break more than anybody."
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