Melbourne Heart coach John Aloisi has lambasted referee Jarred Gillett after he was sent to the stands in his side's 2-1 loss to Central Coast.
Melbourne Heart coach John Aloisi has lambasted referee Jarred Gillett after he was sent to the stands in his side's 2-1 loss to Central Coast Mariners.
With the scores locked at 0-0, Heart defender Patrick Gerhardt was sent off when he blocked a goal-bound shot from Mile Sterjovksi with the underside of his right arm.
Aloisi's half-time protests saw him sent to the stands at the start of the second half, and he was furious with the decision to send off the Liberian.
"The referees keep on making decisions like that and it kills the game," Aloisi said.
"Everyone in the stadium saw that he didn't hand-ball it except the referee thought he did.
"It kills the way we are trying to play and it cost us in the end result.
"I'm very disappointed about the decision."
Aloisi was not only baffled by the red card for his player but also confused as to why he was not immediately dismissed upon confronting the match officials as the half ended.
"The reason why I did (speak to the referee) was a few people from the Mariners told me it was never a hand ball," he said.
"I was never going to go off (at the referee) if I didn't have confirmation from the other club.
"I said to him 'not acceptable', (the decision) was killing us.
"He didn't send me off straight away...I don't know how it works.
"If he thought that it was something serious (when I confronted him) then I think I should have been sent off straight away.
"Isn't it like a player having a go at the referee on the pitch and then he waits 15 minutes after and says 'I didn't quite like that I'll send him off fifteen 15 later?'" Aloisi said.
"He probably went inside and thought about it and thought 'I didn't really like the way he spoke to me when we come back out I'll send him off'."
"If it was that bad, and I admit I did get angry, he would have sent me off straight away."