BOHEMIANS boss Declan Devine has confirmed that the club will appeal a straight red card for winger Dylan Connolly in Friday's 1-0 loss to Shelbourne.

That dismissal on 66 minutes for Connolly, after he reacted to a tackle from Shels defender John Ross Wilson, was the turning point in the game as the Reds scored the only goal of the match, and their first of the season, 11 minutes later against the ten men.

Connolly had latched onto a long ball out of defence and bore down on goal and was stopped by Wilson’s tackle but in the wake of the challenge, Connolly appeared to raise his arm when he confronted Wilson and referee Arnold Hunter showed him a red card.

"I am disappointed the way the game has gone, if you see the decision back it's a mad decision,” said Devine, who was critical of the fact that 11 players – six from his side - were booked in the previous game, a 2-1 win over Dundalk.

“Another four or five yellow cards in the game, it’s crazy stuff.

“We played well, we weren’t as creative as we have been, didn’t have enough clear-cut chances but we dominated the ball, moved the ball well, some of our play was excellent but the decision was a game-changing moment, in a Dublin derby and I am frustrated with that.

“We spoke all week about not reacting, not getting involved, stepping away, making sure we kept 11 players on the pitch and ultimately it was nothing to do with Dylan Connolly, he’s been barged into by one of their players, these decisions have to be rectified as there is a lot at stake, a big three points.

“We will be appealing first thing in the morning, when you see it back, I don’t know what Dylan is supposed to do, it’s crazy. We want a good disciplinary record here, we spoke to the players about it, we don’t want to be picking up yellow cards and red cards that will cost is down the line but it's a  Dublin derby, you have to put tackles in. If you take aggression out of Shelbourne versus Bohemians, I don’t know where we are, the decisions have to be right,” he added.

"We have 15 bookings and a red card over three games and I don’t think we have put in a bad tackle,” he added.

“Overall we were very brave, had a nice style of play but we didn’t create a lot, one shot from their throw-in has cost us the points.”