RONAN Curtis scored and was sent off within three minutes as AFC Wimbledon dropped two more points in their 1-1 draw against Harrogate Town at Plough Lane.
Matty Daly opened the scoring for the visitors in the eighth minute.
Curtis levelled on 58 minutes but was then given a straight red card for a late tackle on Levi Sutton.
The Dons are eighth, a point off Gillingham in the last play-off spot in League Two.
Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson didn’t agree with the red card.
“It was a ridiculous decision,” he said. “I’ve watched it back. Ronan didn’t go in studs up, he was just pointing his toe in to touch the ball. The referee was the wrong side of the defender. In a game of this magnitude, at this stage of the season, to make a call like that – he’s robbed us.
“I feel really let down by that. The knock-on is that Ronan will now have to miss three games. We’ll be appealing it.
“We got the goal, the stadium was bouncing and we felt we were going to go on and win it. The decision altered the outcome of the game. It made our jobs more difficult. You’ve got to run that little bit harder and that bit further.”
Jackson added: “I feel really proud. After a disappointing opening period, I thought we were outstanding in the second half. The way we got back in it and took the game to them was brilliant. We were on the back foot with a man less but it was them that was hanging on. We couldn’t quite snatch the win but there’s lots to be really proud of.
“I asked for a response at half-time because we were poor. I got into them and we changed the shape. I said to them that we weren’t going to go down without a fight. That’s exactly what happened, we started on the front foot straight away.
“We’ve gone up a place in the league, which underlines how crazy this league can be. Other teams will come unstuck. It’s another point towards out total. Five to go, let’s see where things take us.”
Wimbledon are away to Stockport County on Monday.
