BOBBY MADDEN and Joey Barton were involved in a heated touchline exchange before the Bristol Rovers boss was shown a red card.
The Rangers flop was sent off as his former club Fleetwood snatched a stoppage-time equaliser through Shaun Rooney to earn a 2-2 draw in League One.
Barton saw red from referee Bobby Madden in the final minute of normal time and there was more anger as Rooney netted his second goal of a fiery contest in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
Barton did not face the press but Rovers assistant Andy Mangan could not offer a reason behind the sending-off.
“I don’t think there was anything untoward,” he said.
“I was close to him. And I think the referee probably got a bit heated.
“I saw a yellow card in his hand and then out of nowhere he brings out the red. I am not sure why that happened.
“I will have to speak to Joe, but the level of the performance in the second half we should be very proud.
“The draw feels like a defeat but there were so many positives. We are always looking to improve. We need to shut teams down and we need to be better in the final moments.
“And when the balls are getting slung into the box we have got to be more disciplined in those situations.
“The whole stadium will go home disappointed. But we created an awful lot of chances, and we should have been well out of sight.”
Rovers are 17th but have lost only once in 11 games in all competitions.
Fleetwood – now unbeaten in five – are one place and a point above their opponents.
Town boss Scott Brown said: “I thought it was a game of two halves.
“We controlled the game in the first half, created a lot of chances and put them under a lot of pressure.
“But in the second half I think the crowd frightened our lads a little bit.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to deal with the crowd very well.
“We caused our own problems and it was slopping defending from us, switching off and more about ball-watching than anything else.”
On Town’s equaliser Brown added: “It’s a late goal, but it’s about time we scored a late goal.
“It’s just the willingness to want to go on and score a goal. (Rooney) thrives off the atmosphere.
“That’s what the lads have got to learn, when you come away from home you’ve got to try and thrive on the atmosphere.
“You’ve got to go and show the opposition you are quality players.
“In the first half we did that and played some quality football, but we’ve got to be more relentless in front of goal.”
