BASINGSTOKE Town boss Ernie Howe has criticised his captain Scott Tarr for getting sent off on Saturday - a red card that rules the key player out of the side's crucial last three games of the season.

Howe was annoyed with Tarr after he was sent off for violent conduct in Basingstoke Town's 3-0 away victory at Heybridge Swifts.

The Town boss felt his goalkeeper shouldn't have been drawn into the incident that led to his dismissal.

Howe's frustration was fuelled by the fact that the sending off means Tarr misses Town's final three games of the season - against Aylesbury, Kingstonian and Sutton United.

With five vital matches remaining for the club, as the chase for a place in the new Conference South league enters a critical stage, the loss of his number one goalie is a problem Howe doesn't need.

Tarr got his marching orders just minutes from the end of the match after running 25 yards and becoming involved in an altercation with Heybridge's Neil Cousins.

Cousins had badly fouled Neville Stamp and, as a melee developed, there was pushing and shoving. This was when Tarr ran up to intervene.

The nearside assistant referee told the referee that he saw Tarr grab Cousins around the throat and push him in the face. The goalie was subsequently given his marching orders. Reflecting on the dismissal, Howe knows the big shot-stopper's absence will have a detrimental effect on his team.

He added: "The referee should have acted over the initial foul on Stampy, which was nasty. But he didn't take action all afternoon over some bad fouls by their players. If he had sent the right winger off for taking out Stampy, it would have stopped what followed.

"However, Scotty shouldn't have reacted the way he did. It's annoying that he has run so far to get involved and then got sent off.

"Of course, he said it was harsh and there was hardly anything in it, but it was so unnecessary.

"He is the most experienced member of our team, we're already 3-0 up, and the game is won. You think he would know better by now, but you can't change people's characters."

Tarr later admitted that Cousins' tackle had "incensed" him, but he added: "I still think it was very harsh to get sent off because the flare-up wasn't as bad as the referee thought it was. I couldn't believe it when I saw him hold up a red card."

Town secretary Richard Trodd confirmed the club would not be appealing against the red card.

Tarr is available for the two games over the Easter weekend, versus Hitchin Town (home) and Bognor Regis Town (away).

His suspension will give deputy Michael Watkins a rare, but potentially crucial, outing between the posts as Town look to finish in the top 13.