Aaron Ramsey blasts Oxford United red card decisions in Mansfield draw

Referee Thomas Parsons dished out two red cards as Oxford drew 1-1 with Mansfield Town on Thursday night.

Parsons handed second yellow cards to Peter Kioso and Gatlin O’Donkor, Mansfield’s equaliser through Michael Smith coming after the former’s dismissal.

The Stags goal and the duo of red cards all came within nine minutes, the U’s holding firm to see out a point with nine men.

It came after United had taken the lead in the first half through a sweet strike from Aston Villa loanee Luka Lynch.

Speaking after the match, U’s head coach Ramsey aired his thoughts: “My immediate feeling is I’m super proud of the players, the way they finished that game.

“We went down to eight men for a minute (after a knock for Brodie Spencer) which seemed forever.

Peter Kioso reacts to being sent off against Mansfield (Image: Richard Parkes)

“But for us to dig in and to show that togetherness, staying connected as a team, defending the box, bodies on the line, I couldn’t have asked for any more.

“I was super, super proud of them tonight.”

Kioso’s sending off caused outrage among Oxford affiliates, the referee judging the right back to have dived as he went down under contact in Mansfield’s penalty area.

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Ramsey continued: “I disagree with the decision.

“For me, there’s certainly contact in the area there.

Peter Kioso goes down in the box before being sent off (Image: Richard Parkes)

“And, I mean, for the ref then to go ahead and to book him as well, in my opinion, there’s no way PK has dived there.

“So, of course, a big moment in the game where I thought it should have been a penalty.”

For the second red card, O’Donkor received a soft first yellow before making a clumsy challenge to leave the referee with no choice but to show another.

“The first one, I believe it wasn’t a yellow card. And then the second one, it is what it is.”

The hosts’ eventual goal came from a Jamie Cumming mistake, the goalkeeper unable to deal with a cross which was then bundled into the net by Smith.

Despite the error, Ramsey had no ill feelings: “No frustration at all.

“Things happen on the football pitch, but it’s the way that we respond to these things.

“And, like I said, everybody was digging in for each other.

Michael Smith finds an equaliser for Mansfield Town against Oxford (Image: Richard Parkes)

“A couple of players sent off, but I didn’t see that affecting us to accept the defeat, if you like.

“I saw a team that were fighting right until the end to come away with it with something.”

Two league away fixtures in a row have resulted in four points from six, with the U’s now five unbeaten in League One ahead of three consecutive home clashes, starting with Wigan Athletic on Tuesday night.