A BIZARRE red card for an incident involving a travelling fan overshadowed Warrington Town’s FA Trophy defeat to Guiseley.

Goalkeeper Tony Thompson was sent off after reacting to a fan who had apparently urinated in his water bottle behind the goal, which prompted a long stoppage as players confronted the fans behind the goal.

After several minutes, the referee decided that Thompson, who had squirted the bottle at the fan in retaliation, had to go.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be involved in anything like that again,” Town boss Mark Beesley said.

“The Guiseley staff apologised – it was disgusting and there’s no place in life for things like that.

“I think the referee has completely lost control after that – if someone urinates in my bottle and I drink it, I’m going to throw it away. To send him off for throwing the bottle away is a disgrace.

“It’s hard to talk about the football when such a big incident like that happens.

“From our point of view, the welfare of our players is paramount and what Tony was subjected to was disgraceful.

“Whoever did it should hang their head in shame and never be allowed into a football game again.

“The referee has to see common sense – I can’t understand it.”

Ahead of a long period of added on time, Guiseley pinched the win in the final minute of the regulation 90 when Lewis Whitham’s free-kick took a huge deflection off the wall to wrong-foot substitute ‘keeper Kian Hall.

There was still time for two further red cards, as Yellows striker Josh Amis saw red for making contact with keeper Kyle Trennery while he dived on a ball in the box, and then Guiseley midfielder Ross Daly was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Luke Duffy.

It was an open game in the first half, with both sides freely creating half-chances.

The returning Jay Harris was in typically combative form in the centre of midfield, and he had a first time drive well blocked by Jameel Ible.

As the half went on though, it was Guiseley who started to carve out the clearer opportunities.

The dangerous Whitham, who made his debut in the league fixture between these two a few weeks ago, cut in from the left and cracked the crossbar with a right-foot shot from 25 yards out.

Striker Jake Cassidy forced a smart stop out of Thompson, and the visitors ended the first half as the happier of the two sides.

There hadn’t been much in the second half before the big flashpoint of the game.

Thompson was clearly unhappy with something, and the facts transpired later on.

The fan was ejected for his behaviour but crucially for the Yellows, so was their goalkeeper after the referee had spent several minutes trying to diffuse the situation and deliberate over his next move.

Going down to 10 men put the Yellows on the back-foot, but they had the best chance of the second half when substitute Luke Duffy put Andy White through and he was denied by Trennery’s legs.

Connor Woods had a low shot saved before Ible somehow missed at the back post at the other end.

Whitham ultimately hit the winner with a free-kick that burst through the Yellows wall, though an incident-filled lengthy stoppage time was to follow.

Amis was sent off for following through on Trennery and then Daly, who had earlier been booked for a cynical challenge on Bohan Dixon, also saw red.

The Yellows are next in action at home to South Shields next Saturday.

Warrington Town: Thompson, Seary, White, Duggan, Gumbs, Harris, Mols (Duffy), Williams, Woods, Dixon (Amis), Clarke (Hall). Subs not used: Buckley-Ricketts, Walker, Mfuni