Caldwell did not deserve red card says Exeter assistant

Gary Caldwell (centre) was sent off in second-half stoppage time against Lincoln City

Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell did not deserve to be sent off in their 0-0 draw at Lincoln City, according to his assistant Kevin Nicholson.

Caldwell was dismissed from the dugout in the aftermath of the Grecians having a late goal disallowed at Sincil Bank.

Ryan Trevitt's stoppage-time strike was adjudged to have hit Angus MacDonald on the hand by referee Declan Bourne.

It is the second time this year Caldwell has been sent off, having received a two-match ban following a red card during January's 2-1 loss at Wycombe Wanderers.

"We scored a perfectly good goal that was taken away," Nicholson told BBC Radio Devon.

"The manager went to speak to the fourth official to ask why it was taken away.

"He didn't swear, didn't push anybody, didn't point any fingers and then the ref came over and sent him off for persistent infringement of which he hadn't been warned about and he certainly hadn't had a yellow card up until that point.

"He is very frustrated in there, we're very frustrated that a perfectly good goal has been taken away.

"The lads are gutted, for want of a better word, as to how hard they've worked to get that one opportunity that they've taken and it's been taken away from them through things that they can't control."

Nicholson says he was impressed with how his side coped after Caldwell's dismissal, as they claimed a fourth clean sheet in five games.

The Grecians are 16th in League One, nine points clear of the bottom four with nine games to play.

"I would say the biggest plus I can give the lads after that is that they didn't crumble," he added.

"There was four minutes left and you always get that feeling when that happens that you could be in trouble, they could go up and nick another one and you feel really hard done to.

"So brilliant that they composed themselves, brilliant that they stayed composed throughout a game, certainly defensively.

"That the referee gave twice as many fouls against us than he gave to to us, and it wasn't that kind of game, it was a 50-50 game.

"I think it's really difficult as those build up to hold yourself together and testament to the lads that they managed to do that."