Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Terry Butcher says Jonny Hayes’ red card changed the direction of the match during his team’s 4-3 defeat to Kilmarnock.
The visitors were leading 2-1 at Rugby Park before the winger received a second yellow card from referee George Salmond.
Michael Nelson headed in an equaliser before a double from Dean Shiels gave the hosts their first win over the Highlanders this term.
After the match Butcher called the decision ‘harsh’.
He said: "We don't score an easy goal, we have to hit the post and do all kinds of things before we can score.
"Billy did really well for the two goals, and when we went forward I thought we always looked as though we were going to score, particularly in the second half.
"Losing a player like Jonny is obviously going to be difficult. We were 2-1 up at the time and in conceding territory to a team like Kilmarnock who pass it well and switch the play, they took full advantage of that.
"I think it was never a sending-off. There were a lot of challenges out there that didn't get yellow cards, but Jonny makes two challenges and gets yellow cards for each one.
"Even then, we still came back and wanted to get forward. I can't fault my players as I thought they were tremendous, absolutely brilliant.
"We've scored three goals away from home and come away with nothing in a game where I know for certain that if we'd kept 11 men on, we'd have won."
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