Jim Magilton and Stephen Craigan both believe Coleraine midfielder Lyndon Kane was lucky to stay on the pitch during Friday night's Premiership battle with Glentoran.
Kane picked up one of nine bookings issued by referee Steven Gregg, with Glentoran defender Paddy McClean being sent off near the end of the goalless stalemate at the Showgrounds.
The game also saw Glens star Conor McMenamin stretchered off following an ugly tackle from Dean Jarvis that only saw the Coleraine defender pick up a booking.
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Magilton told the BBC after the game: "To be fair to the referee, I think there were that number of cards. And McClean getting sent off at the end was the result of two bad decisions on his part.
"The first one I think was swearing at the assistant, and the second was just a late tackle.
"There was definitely a different tone to the second half, an undercurrent. Oran (Kearney) may have sent his team out to be a little more aggressive...
"And nobody set the tone more than Lyndon Kane, who I think, personally, was lucky to stay on the pitch.
"I know he was man of the match, and he did do a good job. He is a full-back playing centre midfield and he was aggressive in everything he did and it did set the tone."
Kane was fortunate not to receive a card after following through on a tackle on Bobby Burns, and moments later a similar challenge on Terry Devlin also escaped any punishment.
Craigan said: "Only Lyndon Kane will know what his intent was going for that ball and his follow through in the Burns tackle. We can only go on the pictures and the pictures don't look very good on his behalf.
"I think it is an absolute shocker of a tackle. Winning the ball is completely irrelevant, it is where your studs end up after. And his land halfway up Bobby Burns' thigh.
"Listen, Jim and I love nothing more than competitive football and people putting their foot in, but it has to be within the laws of the game, and unfortunately that first tackle from Lyndon Kane wasn't within the laws of the game and should have been a straight red."
Magilton added: "Even the second one is unnecessary. He follows through on Terry (Devlin). That was 10 seconds after the first one.
"Lyndon has followed through, and the second one the referee has just blown the whistle.
"On this surface when the ball flies, I think the referee could easily have given a red card there. But he decided to air on the side of caution."
Speaking after the game, Kane said there was "no malice" in the challenge on Burns.
He told the BBC: "Obviously I saw Bobby had a mark high up. It is one of them things where there wasn't much I could do about the follow through.
"I was going at high speed to get in on the tackle. I apologise for catching Bobby so high. There was no malice in the tackle.
"It is one of those things and luckily it went for me."
Glentoran now have concerns over Northern Ireland international McMenamin who was stretchered off following a tackle from behind.
Mick McDermott said the incident was the latest in a line of over the top challenges on his talismanic winger this season, and claimed teams were starting to target McMenamin.
Magilton described Jarvis' challenge as "dangerous" and insists referee Gregg should have produced a red card.
"Dangerous. Red card for me," he said.
"My opinion hasn't changed since seeing it at the time. We have the benefit of replays, but I am standing there and watching it.
"Jarvis has travelled a long way to get the ball, and the defender has made up his mind he is going to tackle. He is 50 yards from goal, he doesn't have to make the tackle. But he is committed to it and I think it was a dangerous tackle and a red card."
Craigan agreed, adding: "It is endangering the safety of an opponent because Conor has been carried off. That is probably the clue for the referee.
"The speed he went at, going with his studs, tackling a player from behind - all those things we want eradicated from the game because we want players to entertain."
Meanwhile, Magilton said he didn't believe teams would try to "intentionally" hurt any player.
He said: "I don't know if Conor is being targeted by teams. Mick has obviously been there for all their games.
"I think that was a red card tonight, but I can't comment on the others because I haven't seen them.
"Obviously you will identify the best players. Whether or not you go to deliberately hurt them is a really serious allegation.
"So I don't think they are intentionally going to hurt him."
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