Joey Barton lamented a pair of "stupid and needless" red cards for Bristol Rovers on Tuesday that has left the cupboard bare when it comes to defensive options.
The Gas were beaten 2-0 at Ipswich Town and, with the game already beyond them, matters worsened for Rovers in the final 10 minutes with Bobby Thomas dismissed for a pair of yellow cards in quick succession before Alfie Kilgour was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for denying a clear scoring opportunity.
Kilgour appeared to commit the cardinal sin for a defender of following one mistake – losing possession to Conor Chaplin in a dangerous area – with another, bringing him down as he bore down on goal, although the defender protested the decision at the time and has told his manager he made no contact with the Ipswich forward and Rovers will review the footage to see if there are grounds for an appeal.
