Jim Ervin left 'absolutely furious' and 'gobsmacked' at red card decision in Ballymena United's Irish League defeat to Glentoran

With the score sitting at 1-0 thanks to Luke McCullough’s first-half strike, Place was shown a straight red in the 49th minute for a high challenge on Fuad Sule with the Ballymena midfielder winning the ball before catching the Glens ace, who was coming in to compete, with his boot.

Referee Keith Kennedy immediately brandished a red card before the Sky Blues went on to concede three goals in six second-half minutes – including a Daire O’Connor brace – as Declan Devine’s reign at The Oval started with comfortable success.

If Place’s suspension is upheld, he’ll miss a large part of the post-split fixtures as Ballymena look to preserve their top-flight status and Ervin was fuming at full-time.

"For a player to lose games in the split in a crucial part for us...I'm speechless and absolutely furious,” he said. “When you've the Glentoran bench looking at you saying it's never a red card and some of their players laughing at the decision, it's difficult to take.

"Stevie McCullough got booked two weeks ago for the same thing, so how can that be a booking and then that one is a red card? Mickey Place has jumped to control the ball and isn't even looking anywhere other than where the ball is and Sule has came from behind him and it's deemed dangerous and a high tackle.

"I haven't got speaking to the referee but he says to me on the pitch he has no choice. When I look at Deccy and the reaction of some of his bench and they're laughing...Deccy says it's never a red card.

"That's what I go off too - I didn't think it was a red card but when I'm getting that reaction from them that tells me it definitely isn't.

"It changes the whole outcome of the game because we're then down to 10 men, we're finding it difficult and they're keeping the ball, knocking it about.

"Granted some of our defending for the goals was extremely poor and when you come up against a team of Glentoran's quality you can't give them opportunities in the box and you have to be tight...you have to put your body on the line. The red card changes the whole outcome of the game.

"I'm definitely not using that as an excuse for 4-0 - we've spoken about it and we'll speak about our defending again on Tuesday, but I'm gobsmacked.

"Now we lose Mickey Place for two or three games in the split and that's horrible. He's in there distraught thinking he's done something wrong and he hasn't."