MIDFIELDER Mark Badman was distraught following his sending off at Hemel Hempstead on Tuesday night.

With players feeling like they had lost, Badman held his hands up to a rash challenge in the middle of the pitch.

However, the visitors were also angry with their treatment from Hemel's players and said they felt they had no protection from the referee. Badman was sent off on the hour mark after a high two-footed challenge on striker Bryan Hammatt .

Bluebirds captain Gary Thorne said it was a bad tackle.

"The lad's held his hand up and he said he was late and he said it was a bad tackle."

Striker James Constable, at the end of some tough tackles from Hemel Hempstead, said he felt he could not go into a challenge and wanted more protection from the referee.

"I didn't know what the referee was doing really.

"It made it so I didn't feel confident going into 50/50s and I didn't feel I had any security when going into tackles.

"Badman's said sorry but then I've been punched in the face and got nothing."

Constable's partner up front, Gilroy, said he did not see the tackle but felt the reaction of the Hemel Hempstead players may have influenced the referee.

"All I could see was that it was on the halfway line and Badders has made a tackle and there was a little melee afterwards.

"It should not have been a sending off because it was the first tackle of the game and maybe Badders should have had a warning.

"If it was really that bad then maybe it's a yellow card and maybe with 11 men we could have held on.

"It has come straight after Beano's (Constable) been punched in the face and I think the referee's trying to cut it out. But then if it had been on the other foot and the player had not gone we would have moaned."

Gilroy said the squad would now be looking for either Dunstable or Tiverton to beat or hold Histon in an important week in the title race.

"I personally see Histon tripping up because Tiverton are flying and on the verge of the playoffs."