Burnley manager Sean Dyche has criticised referee Darren Sheldrake for sending Tom Heaton off during this afternoon's 2-0 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion.
The goalkeeper received his marching orders in the 57th minute when he was deemed to have handled the ball twice as he went to release it inside the area.
The Seagulls already led thanks to Andrew Croft's first-half strike, but with a one-man advantage Leonardo Ulloa doubled the lead in the 71st minute.
"Factually, I think he has made the wrong decision," PA quotes Dyche as saying.
"I asked the referee for his view and he said it was for unsporting behaviour, throwing the ball up in the air and catching it twice. I asked him whether he had seen our player impeded in the area.
"The referee has got one chance to look at it and he made a quick decision. Maybe had he spoken to the linesman there may have been a different outcome. The referee also said to me that, in making the decision to send Heaton off, he wasn't affected by his first-half decision not to."
Burnley welcome Preston North End to Turk Moor in the second round of the League Cup on Tuesday.
Michael Penkman
