Barton: '˜Soft' dismissal cost Fleetwood against Portsmouth
And the Cod Army boss told of his frustration at a '˜needless' penalty conceded by his side as they were thumped 5-2 by Pompey.
Fleetwood saw themselves reduced to 10 men six minutes after the restart with the score at 2-1, when Dean Marney was given his marching orders for hack at Ben Thompson's legs in the middle of the park.
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Hide AdPompey went on to fire in four second-half goals after the visitors were handed an advantage Barton viewed as costly.
The first of those goals came from the spot as Ronan Curtis was fouled by Ross Wallace - a costly error in Barton's book.
He told the Blackpool Gazette: '˜A very soft second yellow card.
'˜You cannot afford to give them that kind of advantage because as they have shown they were clinical.
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Hide Ad'˜A soft first yellow and that is very disappointing from our perspective because we looking the side probably more likely to go on and win the game.
'˜We were 2-1 ahead, in the ascendancy with the momentum but then you cannot go down to 10-men with this calibre of opposition.
'˜They are top of the table going into the new year because they are the most consistent team in the division and they have some good players.
'˜We did not just make that one, we folded up by giving away an absolute needless penalty.
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Hide Ad'˜Ball going away from goal and I can only think it is because he was elbowed in the face a couple of minutes beforehand, and maybe he has got a little bit of the red mist descending and he has decided he wants to make a physical challenge.
'˜That is very disappointing.
'˜Then we settle down, we get back into a kind of flow again.'
A freak moment went against the home side with 10 minutes left as they twice hit the woodwork from a corner, before Jamal Lowe powered in two goals in three minutes.
Barton added: '˜With the game at 3-2 down to 10-men Paddy Madden's fantastic header hits the post.
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Hide Ad'˜James Wallace gets the rebound, hits the other side of the post then they clear the danger.
'˜At that point you think maybe it is not going to be our day.
'˜I cannot fault the players they give everything for each other.
'˜They give everything on most occasions.'