Mansfield boss Coughlan accuses Cobblers players of 'chucking themselves to the ground' after red card

Mansfield Town boss Graham Coughlan didn't think Sam Hoskins should have been sent off against his side on Saturday but felt the game descended into a 'farce' after it, accusing Northampton players of 'chucking themselves on the ground' to win free-kicks.

Hoskins brought down Harry Charsley as the last defender and was deemed not to be making a genuine attempt to win the ball, leaving referee Peter Wright no choice but to brandish a straight red card.

Wright also felt the challenge happened inside the box so awarded a penalty, which was confidently converted by Danny Rose and that paved the way for a surprise away victory.

"It was a push in the back so therefore it's a penalty but personally I wouldn't have sent the lad off," said Coughlan.

"I'd have left him on the pitch but I'm a football manager and let's be honest, I don't even know the rules of the game anymore.

"I couldn't tell you what's offside and what's not offside and I couldn't tell you what's handball and what's not handball and what's a sending off and what's not a sending off.

"But I didn't think he deserved to be sent off to be honest."

However, whilst he felt Hoskins should have stayed on the pitch, Coughlan was then critical of Town's apparent gamesmanship in the remaining 80 minutes, hitting back at opposite number Keith Curle who was equally as frustrated by some of Mansfield's antics.

"In a way I wish he wasn't sent off because afterwards the game became a farce," added Coughlan. "Every contest and every 50-50 ball, they chucked themselves on the ground and they got free-kicks, they got corners and they got throw-ins.

"I didn't think it was nice to watch to be quite honest with you."

Coughlan was also disappointed with his side's defending when Harry Smith headed home a consolation deep into stoppage-time.

"If we had only been 1-0 up and conceded a goal like that, a free header, we'd have walked away with a 1-1 draw and we'd be kicking ourselves," he added.

"That would have been unjust so we have to find a bit of a ruthless streak and a bit of conviction about our play because that should have been a clean sheet and that's what I'm fuming about."