Brabin left bemused by red card

Luton’s players once again had lumps kicked out of them, this time by the Minstermen, as City picked up six bookings on the night, resulting in a red card for Scott Kerr, as they bullied their way to victory.

Brabin and York assistant manager Darron Gee had a fiery exchange as the Town chief was dismissed just before the break, hauled uncompromisingly into the tunnel by the home side’s security staff.

Brabin said: “I’m not really shouting or bawling. I’ve shown a bit of passion like most managers in this league and been punished for it.

“Their bench was showing passion and we were showing passion and I thought they were showing more than us. The referee has decided to send me off.

But he played down how he was forcibly ejected, saying: “I’m not too worried about that

“The referee sent me off and the rest of it was a storm in a teacup.

“I thought I was unfairly sent off. I think the stats don’t lie. The manager of the side with the least bookings is sent off.

“I was disappointed I couldn’t see the second half and disappointed with the result and with the injuries we’ve got.”

Captain George Pilkington was even cautioned as he tried to act as peacemaker in the incident, and goalkeeper Mark Tyler thought that Smith didn’t handle the game well.

He said: “With all the bookings in the first half, I felt the referee lost control a little bit.

“The referee could have made it easier for himself. There were a few nasty challenges. The Freddie Murray one, I don’t know how the referee didn’t see that.

“I can’t say too much as I don’t want to get into any trouble.”

With Town having just three bookings to their name, none of them for fouls, Tyler insisted that was telling, while also criticising Pilkington’s treatment, saying: “It tells the story. Our skipper goes off the pitch to try and calm things down and gets booked and common sense never prevails.”

The recalled Adam Newton played down the incident though as he added: “I didn’t see too much. I know the referee was talking to the fourth official.

“You see what’s going on there, but you have to concentrate on the job in hand. What goes on on and off the pitch the officials will sort out. It’s my job to keep focus.

“How the referee calls it sometimes works for you and sometimes it doesn’t and it hasn’t really gone for us.

“We are good enough to overcome those decisions.”