STUART McCall admitted Levi Sutton’s red card played a big part in City’s third successive loss.

Sutton was dismissed before half-time in the 1-0 defeat at Barrow for a reckless challenge on Jason Taylor.

Barrow were already leading 1-0 through Connor Brown in a game played in a heavy wind.

McCall said: “I knew it would be a game of two halves with the wind and having gone behind against it, I would have been okay coming out 1-0 down for the second half with 11 men.

“But it wasn’t to be because of a terrible challenge. It was a deserved red card.

“It gave them a lift because they knew they were going to be up against it second half with the elements but they had the extra man.

“There’s nobody feeling any worse at this moment in time. He knows he’s let himself down and he’s let us down but it’s something he’ll have to get over.”

City failed to pressure home keeper Joel Dixon as Barrow claimed their first home win since promotion back to the EFL and first clean sheet.

McCall added: “It was always going to be hook-ons, and flick-ons with the conditions. It’s not an excuse but the red card has had a massive bearing because of the conditions.

“It’s hard to create in the windy conditions because we didn’t have 11 men.

“The other night we made opportunities against Bolton and didn’t take them. Today we didn’t make them.

“Tuesday night when we play Southend, we’ve got to make them and take them.”