Oxford played half an hour of their League One tie against Portsmouth on Sunday with 10 men. They would eventually lose the game 3-0.
Alex Mowatt was the player red carded for Oxford. The moment which saw him dismissed was one of major controversy.
Oxford were awarded a penalty after an hour - they were 1-0 down at the time - when Portsmouth defender Matthew Clarke dragged Oxford counterpart Robert Dickie down in the box.
Up stepped Mowatt to take the penalty. The ball struck the right-hand post, rebounding out for a throw-in on the opposite side of the pitch.
It was at that moment Portsmouth's Nathan Thompson thought it appropriate to celebrate the miss - in Mowatt's face. As Mowatt hunched down near the penalty spot, head in hands, Thompson ran to scream in his face.
Mowatt reacted by slapping Thompson. The Portsmouth player hit the deck and a red card followed for Mowatt.
Thompson received no punishment for his antagonistic behaviour. Considering that he was on a yellow card already, it was an impactful decision from the referee.
Speaking to The Oxford Mail after the game, Oxford manager Karl Robinson said that the referee had cost his side the game.
"Their player was (already) booked and what he did was run 20 yards, stood in his face and goaded him. I’ve not seen that for a long time," said Robinson.
The referee told my players he’d booked Thompson, but they didn’t know he’d been booked in the first half.
I’m going to have a very good conversation with the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) tonight.
I’ve got (Thompson’s) agent’s number and I’ll tell him as well – what he did was not acceptable on a football pitch. If my players did that I’d be very disappointed and they would be reprimanded.
The 23-year-old Mowatt, on loan to Oxford from Barnsley, said it was the worst moment of his football career.
"That’s probably the worst 60 seconds I’ve had in football.
"I’ve missed a penalty so I’m already angry with myself and then he’s got in my face and I’ve reacted stupidly.
"I don’t think you can come in someone’s face like that after they’ve just missed a penalty.
"He’s bought it really, I’ve only pushed him but you can’t raise your hands."
You can watch the incident below.
