Oxford United boss Chris Wilder admitted he was relieved that a horrific blunder from referee Steve Cummins did not cost his side victory against Barrow on Saturday.

The Cheshire official showed the yellow card to Barrow right back Nat Kerr twice in the first half, without sending him off.

The second card was brandished to Kerr at the end of the first half after he had brought down Lewis Haldane just outside the box.

Mr Cummins’s error caused chaotic scenes as he was challenged by United players, and then went in search of the player he'd booked, who had walked off thinking he’d escaped.

The comical scene of the referee looking at different players’ backs to find the right number, after he had spoken to his assistant, ended with him still allowing Kerr to stay on the pitch for the rest of the game.

The ref later claimed he had not shown a second card to Kerr (the Barrow No 3) but had instead booked the No 27 (Marcus Holness), although television replays indicated otherwise, with Holness nowhere near the incident.

United manager Wilder said: “I'm just glad it didn't cost us.

“We were unsure what was going on and just wanted some clarity, and couldn't get that at half-time. Then it came out in the second half what he'd done.

“At first I thought he'd booked Lewis for diving. Thankfully it's not cost us, but it could have done.”

Haldane was bemused by the whole episode.

“I thought he was going to book me for diving,” he said.

“I didn't dive, but I made the most of it (the fall), which I probably shouldn't have done.

“I saw the card go up and then him walk away and we knew he'd already been booked, because it had happened only ten minutes earlier.

“I said to Kerr in the second half, shouldn't you have been sent off? He said to me ‘yes, I got booked twice but the ref didn't see it!'”

Barrow joint manager Dave Bayliss said: “I don't want to make any statement about the card incident and the ref, I'm already in trouble as it is.”