CORK CITY boss Ger Nash had no complaints about Charlie Lyons red card – or Shelbourne’s easy dismissal of his side in Friday night’s 3-1 loss.
Bottom club City were 2-0 down inside six minutes but pulled a goal back before half-time to give themselves a lifeline.
But defender Lyons was then shown a red card five minutes into the second half when referee Rob Harvey upgraded a yellow for a challenge to a red for a comment made.
Nash said: “At half time I thought we were in the game, that we have a real opportunity to go and take some points, we are looking good in that respect.
“But the key moment in the second half is unacceptable, simply unacceptable, and had a huge bearing on what we can do in the second half.
“Whatever decision the referee made, we’re in a position where we have to be disciplined in how we speak to referees, that’s part of football.
“I know the reasons why the referee sent him off, the tackle was deemed a yellow card offence.
“The upgrading of the situation was down to something one of my players said to him, and I won’t accept it.”
While unhappy with his own team over the red card, he acknowledged that how his side started also left them with too much to do.
He continued: “It’s a game that passed us by that we had a chance to pick up points in. We’re in a position where we can’t do that, it’s as simple as that.
“It’s a hugely disappointing night. The key moment in the game is how we started and how we gifted them the first opportunity, which they took.
“I can’t explain it, I am going to have to, it’s the softness of the first goal, it’s not us…way beyond frustrating and it’s unacceptable in terms of the message we give the players.
“This isn’t kids football, this isn’t the First Division, this is the Premier Division, it’s unacceptable how we started the game.
“It’s a huge shame as a lot of the players have left a lot out there, playing with 10 men for a long time so it’s hard to analyse this game, in some respects as some players…it’s not their fault that they are playing with 10 men.
“In fairness to the lads in the rest of the half they responded and got ourselves back in the game, showed huge qualities in many respects.
“But the softness of the first goal is huge and then the red card compounds that.”
