Elgin City manager Ross Jack will consider today if an appeal should be launched at the SFA against the red card shown to goalkeeper Ray Jellema at Annan on Saturday.
Having been in firm control of the match City were floored ten minutes after taking the lead through a Shane Sutherland header on the hour mark.
Jellema came from his line as Matt Flynn broke into his area - the Annan man failed to control the ball and went down under a challenge from the City goalkeeper. However, the resulting penalty kick and, in particular, red card appeared harsh enough at the time - and was backed up by video evidence showing little if any contact was made.
Manager Jack said: “It was a crushing blow for us as up to that point in the game we had controlled things and certainly deserved to be in front.
“Referee’s do of course have a very difficult job and that one moment demonstrated just how difficult - it might well have appeared to him from the angle he observed the incident that it was a straight-forward decision.
“But when you review the video footage it seems to me that the red card was particularly harsh. Ray clearly did not show any intent to bring the man down, quite the opposite in fact - he did everything he could to avoid committing any foul and he was not even the last man.
“I felt at the time it was more a case of their player failing to control the ball and then falling over the goalkeeper - and the evidence produced by our video analysis man appears to back that up. We will need to discuss the incident and consider if an appeal should be launched.”
With youngster Stuart Black taking over in goal City found themselves level after the penalty incident but much worse was to follow, Black failing to control a pass-back and so allowing Annan to snatch all three points.
Jack said: “Stuart could have done better but he was placed under pressure and rather than just blasting the ball out of the park he took a touch too many and could not get the ball under control.
“We have lost the last two games through our own design, in both we created enough chances to win both. As a result we are now second bottom but no way is that a reflection of the side we are and we will certainly not be changing the way we play.
“It has been a frustrating season at times but we will keep to our passing game in the firm belief that quality football will win through in the end.”
Red Card from Elgin City FC on Vimeo.