Derek McInnes was baffled that Ross County weren't reduced to 10 men during the first half of yesterday's 1-0 Premiership defeat in Dingwall.
Ross Callachan lunged through Kilmarnock defender Ryan Alebiosu which was, incredibly, deemed as a yellow card.
The Ross County midfielder was later sent-off but boss McInnes insists it should have been a red in the first instance.
He told Killie TV: "I think when they got the red card it was the right decision, but the red card should have been in the first half.
"The tackle on big Ryan was awful, I think the officials have to see it as I did right in front of me.
"We've all been there when you want your team to make a cute foul, but I felt that he had two feet off the ground and it was a lunge.
"For me, if that isn't a red card then God help us."
Killie lost the clash in the Highlands which sent them bottom of the table thanks to a late goal from Owura Edwards.
Rugby Park chief McInnes feels that his side were worthy of at least a point and reckons defeat is tough to take.
He said: "We are disappointed, on the balance of the second half, the narrative should be about us not taking more of our opportunities.
"I thought in the second half we were the better team, out of possession I thought we negated their pace well.
"I think box to box we were the better team in the second half, time and time again we arrived at the edge of the box but we don't take shots, or we don't get the first touch and we don't show conviction in the shot.
"We have to show more of ourselves in these moments, games are won and lost in both boxes so we only have ourselves to blame.
"We are here to win points and we've not done that, we were hoping to get our first clean sheet but we've not seen it out and not dealt with a ball coming into the box."
He added: "I feel like we deserved more, but I don't want to get caught up in that, I don't want to be little naïve Kilmarnock and get mugged off.
"But it feels like we were mugged off."
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