Brentford Manager Uwe Rösler said the red card given to goalkeeper David Button in the Sky Bet League One defeat against Bradford City was “very harsh”.
The Bees were beaten 4-0 in Yorkshire after having their goalkeeper sent off midway through the first half.
Uwe said Brentford were the better team at the time but said they had to look at themselves for the way they defended.
The sending off came when a long ball from the back released Nahki Wells in behind in the inside right channel, Button came flying out, got some of the ball and some of the striker on the edge of the penalty area.
Assistant Referee Nicholas Gibbons signalled a foul had been committed and Referee Andy Haines, following another discussion with his assistant, sent Button off.
Uwe said he did not know whether the goalkeeper had been convicted of denying a goal scoring opportunity – Wells had knocked the ball towards the corner flag and may not have caught it – or of a serious foul challenge.
He said he would decide whether to appeal the decision once the emotion from the afternoon had subsided.
“Until the sending off we were the better team,” said Uwe, speaking to the press after the match.
“We should have been in the lead; we had three good chances and hit the post.
“There was a long ball and the defence was caught by a good run.
“David decided to come, Nahki Wells touched the ball, our keeper blocked the ball, he definitely played the ball, the ball changed direction.
“For me, it was a very harsh decision.
“That decided the game.
“The referee hasn’t told me anything, I don’t know what the ban will be.
“I have not decided if we will appeal yet, we don’t need to decide today.
“We will let the emotion settle down, have a good look at it from other angles and then see.
“What happens about our goalkeeper next week will be seen when we see the outcome from the red card.”
Brentford started with Marcello Trotta, who signed on loan from Fulham this week, as the central man in a front three and Uwe admitted he was not 100 per cent fit and did well.
The striker could have put Brentford ahead with a shot that Bradford goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin pushed on to a post and Uwe said the game was going well until the sending off.
He admitted Brentford gifted Bradford, and their Manager Phil Parkinson, three of their four goals and said the second was crucial.
“Marcello Trotta is not 100 per cent match fit,” said Uwe.
“I took a gamble in starting him and I thought he did well.
“He had a very good chance and hit the post with a shot that was deflected.
“Everything worked well and we looked decent.
“We started to play again.
“Then we gifted them goals.
“Phil Parkinson has had Christmas, New Year’s Eve and his birthday at once.
“There was a red card that was not a red card and three of the four goals were presents from us.
“I felt that if we stayed in the game and they didn’t get a second goal, we would get at least a point.
“The longer the game went on, I felt they would get nervous and try to defend what they had instead of attacking.
“The second goal was a gift and after that you can’t get anything.”
Uwe said he would not be making any excuses for the result and everyone in the First Team group was looking at themselves for the reasons for the score line.
He said there would be a reaction in training and in the next game, away to Tranmere Rovers next Saturday.
“We have to take the defeat with grace and with our heads up,” said Uwe.
“We can’t make any excuses.
“The red card was a harsh decision.
“After that we are not blaming anyone else, we are looking at ourselves.
“We had a good talk at half time and after the game and we will react next week in training and we are building up for Tranmere.
“We are behind where we want to be at this point.”
Bees Player subscribers can see Uwe’s full post-match press briefing here.