SCOTT LINDSEY said York City would probably appeal against Jovan Malcolm’s red card af his side had to settle for a share of the points at Newport County.
York led 1-0 in the fourth minute when Ollie Pearce stroked home Alex Hunt’s through-ball, but the visitors then had fellow forward Malcolm sent off in the 24th minute for catching Lee Jenkins in the face with an elbow.
Cardiff loanee Kion Etete came off the bench to level with his first touch in a County shirt as he headed in Tanatswa Nyakuhwa’s cross in the 54th minute.
Lindsey was not happy with referee Neil Hair’s decision to show Malcolm a straight red, but he was proud of the way his players responded to that setback.
“It’s not a red card, for me,” said Lindsey. “It’s not an elbow.
“The player’s made more of it than there is, fair play to him. The referee’s obviously not that experienced because he’s got drawn in to the crowd calling for it and it completely ruined the game. We’ll probably be appealing it.”
Joe Grey and Hunt had chances to double York’s lead after the red card, but Shaquille Gwengwe also headed on to the bar for the hosts late in the first half before Etete levelled early in the second.
“I thought we played better with 10 men but the second half became really difficult,” said Lindsey.
“The players gave me absolutely everything. They left themselves out there. It was unbelievable.
“We’ve gained a point, but we haven’t – we’ve gained so much more. The togetherness of the lads was something else.
"They know how hard they’ve had to work for that point, because it’s a tough place to go with 11 men – let alone 10.”
Newport County: Wright, Norman, Jenkins, Cameron, Jacob (Smith 46), Dibley-Dias (Etete 52), Brennan, Nyakuhwa (Garner 76), Biggins, Bamba (Kieron Evans 76), Gwengwe (Adu-Poku 89). Unused substitutes: MacDonald, Sassi.
York City: McNally, Fallowfield (Palmer 82), Johnson, Kitching, Felix (Jack Hunt 55), Alex Hunt (Read 72), Banks, Boyes, Grey (Newby 72), Pearce (Maguire 72), Malcolm. Unused substitutes: Sykes-Kenworthy, King.
Referee: Neil Hair (Cambridgeshire).