Manager Alan Knill says Oliver Norwood's red card cost Scunthorpe United three precious League One points at Notts County.

The Iron led 2-1 with just over half an hour left to play at Meadow Lane when the on-loan Manchester United midfielder flung himself into a challenge with Magpies man Jeff Hughes.

It was an incident which earned Scunthorpe their fourth sending off of the campaign and turned the game on its head, with County making the most of their numerical advantage to edge to a 3-2 victory.

"I think we'd have won it comfortably with 11 men," groaned Knill, whose side have lost their last three league matches.

"We were by far the best team and in the ascendancy.

"The second was a great goal and everything was starting to turn.

"The crowd were getting a bit restless, you could hear it, and we were moving the ball around the pitch.

"Sometimes games do rest on one decision. The referee, in his mind, has made an honest decision but I'm not quite sure that was a straight red."

Despite having seen a replay of Norwood's challenge and voiced his difference of opinion, Knill says the Iron are unsure whether they will appeal the decision which carries a three-match ban.

That would mean the Northern Ireland international would not be eligible to return until the New Year's Eve clash with Chesterfield – just days before his loan spell comes to an end.

Scunthorpe's caution comes after their attempts to overturn what appeared to be a harsh red card for Andy Barcham against Sheffield United in September failed.

"We had Andy Barcham sent off for doing absolutely nothing, we appealed it and got nothing," said the Iron boss, when asked if his club would appeal.

"But we'll have another look.

"When it happened, I went 'great tackle' . But that's the climate. The game has become so soft.

"Tackling isn't allowed any more. We ask people to be aggressive in the right manner and in my mind, that was being aggressive in the right manner.

"All of a sudden there was a melee and the referee brought out the red card.

"I'm all for protecting talented players, but there has to be some physicality for the game to be exciting.

"If it's a terrible tackle, usually the player doesn't get up, run around and carry on.

"Once Oli gets sent off the lad gets up, continues and plays the rest of the game."

Although disappointed to lose, Knill was reluctant to let the result and red card put too much of a dampener on what was a much-improved Iron display.

The fact they are now though only two points above the relegation zone is worry.

"I thought my players were excellent," added Knill, who asked his side for a response to their midweek FA Cup defeat to AFC Wimbledon.

"From start to finish, we gave them a game and that's all we're asking for when we go out onto the pitch.

"There were so many positives, but  obviously the biggest negative was the fact it was a defeat and the manner in which we lost.

"We gave ourselves a great chance, but then obviously we went down to 10 men."