Matt Gray accused the referee of applying double standards following his Sutton side’s 3-0 hammering at Stockport.

The visitors went down to 10 men after just three minutes as Omar Bugiel saw red for a high foot at Edgeley Park.

That sending-off came just moments after James Brown’s tough tackle on Will Randall.

Kyle Wootton, Paddy Madden and Will Collar grabbed the goals for Dave Challinor’s in-form hosts.

“I didn’t think it was a red,” said Gray. “In the first minute of the game it’s a nasty tackle on Will Randall, he gives a yellow card and you go, ‘OK, maybe that’s a yellow although I’ve seen referees give a red for that’.

“I’m not necessarily saying it’s a red, but it’s a nasty tackle on Will.

“Literally a minute or two later Omar’s competing for a ball, a drop-down, and his foot is high as he’s stretching and trying to nick the ball.

“I’m not saying he hasn’t caught him, but it’s not reckless, it’s not aggressive and it’s not out of control.

“To me it’s a yellow to match the one he’s given in the first minute and you get on with the game.

“It’s really disappointing because they’re a good side with really good players and this is a really good place to play football.

“There was a good crowd, you do all your homework, all your organisation and then that’s all straight out the window after a wrong decision in the third minute of the game.”

The on-song Hatters made it three league wins on the spin without conceding after this impressive showing.

And Challinor was delighted with his side’s ruthlessness as they put Sutton to the sword.

He said: “When a team goes down to 10 men it’s important to score.

“With the amount of possession we had we knew we had to be secure, we knew there was lots of space behind us.

“The second goal makes it a lot more comfortable. We broke their spirit a little bit and that gives you further opportunities further down the line.

“Too often we became too happy playing sideways and not going to get that second and third goal.

“I wanted us to have an intent to go and get that second and third goal and that’s what I told them at half-time.

“There’s still an edginess around for us. We’re 1-0 and all of a sudden it’s, ‘are you going to be risk averse and go for the jugular or do it in a more secure way’ and we did the latter.

“It’s tough playing 10 men and I know some fans were frustrated, but things are contextually very different from what the supporters are thinking.”