Gills boss Peter Taylor felt that his captain’s sending off was a game-changer.

Doug Loft was ordered off on 34 minutes for a late challenge on Scunthorpe’s Luke O’Neill.

And Taylor wasn’t able to defend his skipper’s actions.

Taylor said: “Unfortunately it was a sending off and I can’t hide that.

“It wasn’t a good tackle and it wasn’t necessary. In the end it has changed the game for us.

“That was a tackle that used to happen years ago but has been cut out. I thought the referee’s red card was correct.”

The Gills conceded seven minutes after the red card and twice more during a disappointing second half.

Taylor said: “It started alright and had we scored in the first minute then maybe we would have had a different day. It was a very poor performance after that.

“It was an even game before Doug got sent off but once that happened we didn’t do enough. I have seen 10 players beat 11 before but there didn’t seem to be the belief that it would be the case.

“We gave ourselves an uphill task to climb by going down to 10 men. It was still possible but it didn’t show.”

Taylor made a change at the break, with Amine Linganzi replacing Josh Prirtchard and another formation switch midway through the half, when Brennan Dickenson went on. Neither were able to stop Scunthorpe dictating play.

“We tried to change it with different things but in the end it didn’t happen,” said the manager.

“There didn’t seem to be as much energy or enthusiasm that I would have expected, especially on the strength of seven players playing who didn’t do anything on Tuesday (at Colchester). That is where I am extremely disappointed with the performance.”

Taylor had to watch the end of the first half and the whole of the second from the Medway Stand, just behind the dugout, after being ordered off himself.

He threw a water bottle which ended up on the pitch.

“It wasn’t aimed at anybody and the plastic bottle was empty,” said Taylor.

“It was thrown at the ground but unfortunately it kicked off and went onto the pitch and because it went onto the pitch I was told that I had to leave the technical area. They are telling me that’s the rules.”