BARNET manager Dean Brennan believes that York City goalkeeper Harrison Male should have been shown a red card on Tuesday evening.

Brennan’s side Barnet headed to North Yorkshire at the top of the Vanarama National League table ahead of kick-off, with two of the early promotion-chasers battling at the LNER Community Stadium.

Bailey Hobson’s earlier strike was cancelled out in the first-half by former Bee Marvin Armstrong, before a quickfire double in the second-half from Alex Hunt and Ollie Pearce secured a crucial three points for York.

Brennan reacted to the match following the full-time whistle, and admitted that he believed that City should have been reduced to ten men after Malachi Fagan-Walcott’s back pass fell short, with Harrison Male and Zak Brunt entering a 50-50 on the edge of York’s box.

Male came out on top, but Brennan felt that it was a clear foul and red card from the shot-stopper.

Brennan commented: “I thought there was a huge refereeing moment in the game, where we have pressed them and the ball has been turned over.

“Brunty has got a gash in his shin, honestly it is about four inches long.

“Their goalkeeper has two-footed him, it’s terrible refereeing and a really poor challenge.

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“I’m not having a go at the lad, he’s trying to make a challenge and win the ball, but it’s a red card, and a big moment in the game.

“I thought that the referee didn’t have the minerals to execute what should have happened there.”

Despite Brennan’s opinion on the officiating, the Barnet boss was impressed by the standard of match for the fifth tier, and the quality of York too.

The Bees manager felt that it was a ‘tight game’, and that mistakes were the downfall of his side, with Brennan disappointed that goalkeeper Nick Hayes didn’t save Hunt’s spectacular second-half free-kick.

Brennan admitted: “There were some good players on both teams and two managers who play on the front foot, play with speed, play with energy.

“It’s two teams that are well coached.

“The difference in the game in the end were the two errors that we made, and that obviously goes for them.

“I thought that it was a very tight game. I thought that in the first-half, we had some exceptional opportunities to go up one or two.

“They had a chance right at the start of the first-half, where Hayesy has made a good save, but it was a tight game.

“It was a good game for our division really, a top game, two different contrasts in systems, similar styles, but the systems are different.

“At the end of the day we have lost tonight because of two errors, we haven’t done enough when we turn the ball over in their half and pressed them.

“We got fantastic opportunities, Idris [Kanu] has missed a great chance at the back post in the first-half, Nicke [Kabamba] had basically a one-on-one when he’s mis-controlled the ball.

“We’ve just got to do better in those scenarios, and then it is a different game.

“The timing of their first goal was an absolute killer, and I have seen the second goal back, the ‘keeper should save it.”

Brennan did go on to credit York and joked about Armstrong scoring against his former club, after the midfielder made the switch to City in the back end of last season.

“I thought that our game plan was right, we just didn’t get ourselves further ahead and sod’s law, Marvin scores against us.

“To be fair to York, they’ve invested heavily, have an excellent manager and the boy Pearce is a killer when he gets his chance.

“All in all, we take our medicine because we have to move on as quick as we can to the next game.

“None of these games, no matter who you play, whether you play York, Braintree, Forest Green, whoever, no game is easy.

“I thought it was a good advert.”