Lee Bowyer believes two red card decisions went against his side in their 2-1 defeat at Barnsley.

In a game that saw strikes from Barnsley duo Brad Potts and Mamadou Thiam, a Ben Reeves consolation for Charlton, it was Chris Solly’s late dismissal and the failure to show an early red card to Ethan Pinnock that irked Bowyer.

Solly was shown his second yellow card by referee Darren Bond deep in to injury time when he was adjudged to have fouled Daniel Pinillos.

“I thought it was a harsh sending off,” said Bowyer.

“He won the ball but the ref says he caught him with his follow through.

“You’re asking your players to put everything in and give you everything. He’s slid in and won the ball and his momentum has taken him into the lad.

“That’s just part of the game at times and he hasn’t done anything intentionally. He’s just collided into him after he’s won the ball. What do you want him to do?!”

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The dismissal compounded The Addicks to their second successive defeat following their Boxing Day loss at Coventry. The red card also means that Solly will miss the next game against Walsall.

Bowyer felt Bond should’ve shown Barnsley centre-half Ethan Pinnock his marching orders early in the game when he tripped Karlan Grant as he was through on goal.

“He’s taken him out. He was the last man and it was the wrong decision in my eyes,” a frustrated Bowyer said.

Despite the defeat that leaves Charlton in the final play-off place, Bowyer felt he could ask no more of his men.

“I feel for them because I don’t think we deserved to leave with nothing.

“We've come to a top side and we deserved something, for me, because of the effort we put in.

“First half, they scored two unstoppable strikes and that is all it was. Apart from the goals, I think Jed [Steer] made one more save and other than that we had control of the possession.

“Second half, we scored and I feel sorry for the lads because they’ve given me everything again.”