Darren Patterson could not hide his frustration at referee Adam Watts - but did not blame the official for ending Oxford United's three-match winning run.

The U's fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to struggling Northwich on Saturday, in a game that saw card-happy Watts dismiss both centre back Luke Foster and assistant manager Mickey Lewis.

Foster now faces a possible three-match ban, after picking up his tenth booking of the season with the first yellow card, and it's possible the sending-off will mean he has to sit out another match.

Manager Darren Patterson is convinced the ref wouldn't have produced the red card had he not forgotten that he'd already booked Foster in the first half.

"From where we were, it (the second one) didn't look like a bookable offence," he said.

"If the referee had realised he'd already booked him, I don't think he would have done so again."

The referee seemed to get carried away with having to show cards for every foul, and most decisions went against United.

The Worcestershire official also sent Lewis to the stand in the second half for coming onto the pitch to get the ball when the visitors were clearly time-wasting.

Said Patterson: "Mickey was trying to get the ball back - every time it went to the opposition, they threw it or kicked it away, and he didn't reprimand them.

"He was simply keen to get on with the game."

United's manager shared the frustration and anger of home fans at many of the ref's strange decisions, but he said Foster has only himself to blame for his ban.

"It's down to him," he admitted.

"The other nine bookings he's had aren't down to that referee, and I don't think we've lost a game because of the referee, but again a referee has come here and been - and I'm being polite - poor.

"It's consistent here, and I tell my players to expect it.

"My opinion of it is simple . . . we haven't got referees at this level who can handle coming to a stadium like this and this crowd.

"They feel sorry for the opposition, they feel that they're the underdogs, and they're on their side.

"We've got to understand that referees are going to come here and be rubbish. I'll show anybody the stats - they favour the away team.

"However, that hasn't cost us the game today. It's just something we need to get used to because I can't see it changing.

"Again a catastrophic mistake has cost us. It was down to my goalkeeper, and Billy (Turley) has put his hands up.

"I don't think we deserved to lose the game, but I don't think we deserved to win it either. There were too many individuals under par for me."