Darren Murphy believes Linfield were hard done by after Chris Johns was shown a straight red card during Saturday's game against Dungannon Swifts.
Johns was dismissed in the first half after racing out to challenge the onrushing Rhyss Campbell at Stangmore Park.
Referee Tony Clarke paused before producing a straight red for the Blues shot-stopper, but David Healy's men held on to claim a 1-0 win.
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Former Dungannon and Linfield midfielder Murphy says Clarke needed more help in coming to the correct decision.
"I think the referee needs more help from the official on the sideline, the assistant referee," Murphy told the BBC.
"If they are assistant referees then they are there to assist. So either the assistant referee didn't give any advice, or he gave advice and Tony Clarke declined to listen to it.
"They always talk about being a team, and the third team here today actually got that decision wrong. Between the four of them maybe it's hard for Tim (Marshall), the fourth official, to see the angle.
"But the assistant referee certainly has a really good view of it, as does Tony Clarke who is close to the incident. Maybe if Tony is unsure then he should be asking for advice.
"Maybe he doesn't want to take advice, I don't know. But between the four of them they came to the wrong decision and it is disappointing for Linfield."
Murphy added: "Unless they can appeal it, which I don't know, they might lose Chris Johns for a few games.
"It is clear to see there is no contact, and it is clear to see that Linfield had defenders behind Chris Johns."
Meanwhile, David Jeffrey also says he found it hard to see any contact when Johns challenged Campbell.
The Ballymena United boss said: "With the naked eye I couldn't see any contact whatsoever.
"If anything, the more you consider it there could be a charge of simulation for the Dungannon player.
"If the referee thought there was contact, there were two Linfield defenders back in. So I think on this occasion I think it was a wrong decision.
"But credit to Linfield, they mastered how to protect a one-goal lead."
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