Omar Bogle's Indefensible Red Card in Truro City Draw

John Askey did not bother dressing it up. Omar Bogle’s first major headline as a Truro City player was, in his manager’s eyes, “indefensible”.

The 33-year-old striker, signed last month to add nous and presence up front after a long career with Wigan Athletic, Crewe Alexandra, Charlton Athletic, Cardiff City and Newport County, saw red in stoppage time of a scrappy 1-1 draw with Walton and Hersham. He kicked out at Kleyton Junior. The referee had no decision to make.

Seconds later, remarkably, the 10 men of Truro found an equaliser. The point did little to soften Askey’s mood.

This was only Bogle’s fourth appearance for the club, a player brought in for his experience and composure. Instead, he walked early, leaving his team to salvage something from what Askey bluntly called their worst display of the season so far.

“You can't defend that. It shouldn't happen,” Askey told BBC Radio Cornwall, his frustration obvious.

Truro had laboured all afternoon, struggling for rhythm and control. Tension grew, tempers followed. When Bogle reacted to close attention from Kleyton Junior, he chose the worst possible answer.

“We understand that people get frustrated and when somebody's grabbing hold of you the only way to respond to things like that is by keep playing, get hold of the ball, put ball in the back of the net,” Askey said. “You can't retaliate, so really disappointing and obviously we'll have to deal with that.”

The equaliser offered relief but not redemption. For Askey, the message to his new striker is clear: Truro signed his experience to win tight games, not to leave them hanging on without him.