A DISCONSOLATE Liam Trotter has described how Mark Halsey took advice from the fourth official before dismissing him on Saturday.

Derek Davis

A DISCONSOLATE Liam Trotter has described how Mark Halsey took advice from the fourth official before dismissing him on Saturday.

Trotter was convinced he was going to get a yellow card for his mistimed tackle on Pedro Mendes but after a long delay Halsey showed him red.

The 19-year-old said: “I was absolutely shocked when the referee said he was sending me off.

“The referee asked me if it was a two-footed tackle and I said no. He told me to calm down and gave me the impression that I might be booked at worse.

“I apologised, it was my first tackle and I just mistimed it by a fraction.

“I didn't catch the player as badly as it looked either.

“The referee was speaking to someone in his ear piece and said 'one-footed and a yellow card' to whoever he was talking to.

“At that stage I was expecting to be booked. There was a delay and he said: 'Sorry lad, I've got to send you off'.”

While Trotter stood stunned his Town team-mates, many who had thought he would only get a ticking off, swarmed around the official to register their protests.

Trotter added: “I couldn't believe it. I slid in one-footed and my foot was almost on the ground. There was no malice in the challenge and Mendes was jumping in the air as I slid in.”

He said: “I watched the rest of the game from the tunnel. I felt I had let the team down but in my heart of hearts I knew I had done nothing wrong.

“I watched the video after the game and proved what I knew all along - it wasn't a red card.”

Town will decide this morning whether to appeal. If not, or if the appeal fails, Trotter will miss Saturday's home game with Stoke.