Locks Heath boss Kevin Parris vowed to complain to the Hampshire FA after two of his players were sent off in the space of five minutes in his side's 3-1 defeat at Vosper Thornycroft.

Parris and his players were left non-plussed when Glen Stokes was given his marching orders in the 51st minute of the Hampshire League Premier Division match after a penalty box tussle with Vosper's Andy Pattison, who had been booked for his involvement moments earlier.

Four minutes later, Heath collectively threatened to walk off the pitch when Mark Youngs was red-carded for what appeared to be dissent.

The referee had just switched a Locks Heath throw-in to Vospers to penalise the visitors for time wasting, leaving Heath boss Parris irate.

"Why would we have been time wasting with more than half an hour left and the score still at 1-1?" he asked afterwards.

Michael Spinney's 19th goal of the season gave Vospers a 17th minute lead on a cold, wet day at Portsmouth Road. Spinney sidefooted inside the near post from ten yards but, five minutes later, the visitors equalised from the penalty spot.

Locks Heath's Danny Jones won the spot kick after falling under a challenge from Vospers keeper Paul Bowers, who was booked for dissent moments before Marc Jones levelled the scores.

Vosper's lead was eventually restored on 68 minutes after concerted pressure following the second Locks Heath sending off. Michael Colverson made it 2-1 with a near-post strike from Gary Male's left-wing cross and then Marc Diaper, son of manger Dave, scored direct from a corner in injury time.

But the performance of the official was still the talking point at the end.

Parris said: "He wouldn't speak to me afterwards but, ironically, before the game he told me that if there were any problems, we should speak to him at half-time or at the end of the game.

"He was terrible. He kept overruling the linesmen on offside decisions which annoyed the players. It was after one of those occasions that the lads started to push and shove each other but Glen (Stokes) was sent off for wrestling with their player when a booking would have seemed fair for both.

"But the worst decision was to send off Mark Youngs. I still don't know the reason, it was incredible."

Parris threatened to return to the changing rooms with his players after Youngs was red-carded but afterwards said: "That was a rush of blood to the head, we'd never have walked off, we were just very frustrated.

"We had been talking about winning the game at half-time but at the end we were lucky to get away with a 3-1 defeat and that was down to the ref. There's a bit of friendly rivalry between the clubs as we're just down the road, but the referee ruined what should have been a very good game.

"When you spend all week preparing for the game, training with the players and washing the kit it's very frustrating when someone ruins it like that."

But Vosper's boss Dave Diaper backed the sendings-off. He said: "One of our players said a punch was thrown by the first player who was sent off and the ref did tell everyone that he would not tolerate any foul or abusive language, which I believe was the reason for the second red card.

"Refs have to put up with a lot these days. It's not an easy job in the middle and we've certainly had worse refs here this year."

Diaper saw his side miss a host of chances against Locks Heath's nine men in the second half.

Former Fleet and Totton striker Stuart Willes was the worst culprit. After coming on for his debut Willes, a recent signing from BAT, he managed an extraordinary miss from one yard, the ball bouncing off his heel before being cleared to safety.

Diaper said: "I felt for Stuart but he's a very good player, he'll do well for us."