Where defenders had tried and failed, Pat Miller succeeded with a simple flick of the arm.

The Bedfordshire official managed what many had struggled with, stopping Scunthorpe United attacker Andy Barcham firmly in his tracks when he produced a red card from his pocket three weeks ago.

Given his marching orders 25 minutes into the clash with Sheffield United, for a challenge on Michael Doyle, the winger admits it was a scenario which left him feeling a little lost – not something he is accustomed to on a football pitch.

Barcham had made a bright start to his Iron career prior to that point, with goals in his first two games of the season as he consolidated his place in the team.

And it is for that reason the former Gillingham man has been left so frustrated.

He may only have missed three games, but with others having staked their claim in his absence, an immediate return to the starting line-up is by no means guaranteed.

"I knew when I came here there was going to be competition for places," Barcham said.

"It just makes you perform that much harder to try to keep your place.

"That's what's so frustrating for me – I worked hard to try to get my place in the team and it's been taken from me, not through form, I would like to think, but through suspension.

"It's happened now, I've just got to move on and do what I did last time, which is work hard, knuckle down on the training pitch and try to get my place back.

"It was my first sending off so I've never really had to deal with this.

"Even when I got sent off I didn't really know what to do. I didn't know where to walk or where to stand.

"It's a new experience for me, and not a good one. It's not one I want again.

"I've just been trying to keep going with training, keep fit and sharp.

"Even just talking about it, I can't wait to get back going again now. I'm so excited. I'm like a little kid again.

"It's gone quite slow, but I'm glad it's finally over. It was a horrible experience and one I don't want to happen again.

"It's going to be difficult to break back into the team, which is frustrating after starting the majority of the season.

"But that's okay, that's what I've got to accept because I've been out."

One of the low points of his career it may have been, but the 24-year-old has been keen to make the best of a bad situation.

Able to watch his team-mates from the stands, Barcham has been able to gain a better understanding of what is required from manager Alan Knill.

"It's different watching instead of playing," he said.

"Watching from the stands you get to see the whole game, the shape of the team, how we're playing, how we're performing, if we're pressing – things that the gaffer keeps telling us and keeps banging on about in training.

"You get to see it from his perspective for a change.

"I've tried to use that to my benefit. Hopefully when I get back into the team I can use that to my advantage.

"From where the gaffer is he can overlook everything.

"It's hard when you're in an actual game, you just concentrate on your area. Being in the stands you can see it from the gaffer's view.

"If you take the sending off out of it, I like to think I've been doing okay. I've been going in the right direction.

"Like any player, I've set myself goals and I'm working towards them.

"I feel I was getting sharper and sharper as the games were going on, and was creating chances.

"I got my first goal quite early on, which is always a nice relief. It makes it a lot easier to settle down.

"And I followed that up with my second one in the league, which was great.

"I was just looking to build on that really and keep going.

"It's very frustrating to have such a chunk out when you're not injured.

"I'm pleased with how things are going and am just looking forward to getting back into it now."

That chance is likely to come at Stevenage today.

Graham Westley's side have worked their way up the football ladder, and Barcham knows just what to expect.

"I've played against them a few times when I was at Gillingham," he said.

"The gaffer has been working on things in training and we all know what they are about.

"They're strong, they're powerful, but because we've been working on it in training, hopefully we'll have the right mindset to counter that and play against it.

"Once you get used to that and compete like they do, then we can put our stamp on the game, which is passing the ball about and getting it moving."