New Kilmarnock boss Neil McCann is adamant Livingston should have been reduced to 10 men just minutes into his side’s 1-1 draw in West Lothian.
Lions centre-back Brooklyn Kabongolo was booked barely 60 seconds into the clash by referee Don Robertson for a rash challenge, with two more going unpunished before he was replaced by Danny Wilson after just 10 minutes.
That allowed the hosts to reset and grow back into the contest, with Connor McLennan giving them a first-half lead before Marcus Dackers equalised for Killie.
McCann insists the 23-year-old should already have been off the park.
He said: “There’s no question in my mind that Kabongolo should’ve been off the pitch. Anybody in this ground today knows he should’ve been off the pitch. Davie Martindale knows that too, that’s why he subbed him.
“The big fella shouldn’t have had that opportunity to stay on the pitch. I’ve been told the first one is reckless and deserved a yellow card.
“The second one he’s cleaned out our player running right through on a promising attack. I don’t know how promising it needs to be to have another yellow card.”
He added: “Right after that he goes through the back again. I don’t understand how that’s not the second yellow. That went against us. It allowed Davie to make the change.
“Don’s good. We spoke calmly after the game – I wasn’t remonstrating too much in his face. He just felt there wasn’t enough in it to send him off. I completely disagreed with him and he accepted that.”
Livi counterpart David Martindale questioned the yellow-card decision and felt it had an impact on the contest, with the towering defender not on the park to deal with Killie’s equaliser.
He said: “I don’t think the first challenge is a yellow card. I don’t think there is anything in it and it was a really strange booking because Bruce Anderson is going nowhere and the ball was going out the park.
“The second challenge, I don’t think was a foul but the third I thought was a yellow card. Based on him already being on a yellow – which I don’t agree with – it’s a red card.
“The ref’s put us in that position due to his poor decision-making. Brooklyn shouldn’t have been in that position.”
He added: “He should have been on the park to clear the ball that came into our box for their goal. That’s what he was in the team for.”
