SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown could not understand why he was sent to the stands during tonight’s painful 1-0 defeat against Bolton Wanderers.

Brown watched the last 10 minutes from the directors box at Roots Hall after being angered by referee Charles Breakspear’s decision not to award the Shrimpers a penalty.

The Blues boss, who was also sent from his technical area against Bolton in September, was certain his side should have been awarded a spot-kick when Nile Ranger went to ground while under pressure from the Trotters’ David Wheater.

But Brown felt he should not have been ordered out of the dug-out.

“I’ve been told I was shouting at the fourth official,” said Brown, who had been warned twice by Breakspear before being sent to the stands.

“I never swore at the man, I just said Nile Ranger had been blamed for staying on his feet and I just don’t get it.

“Charles is now saying there was no contact outside the penalty area but there was non-stop contact for about 10 yards.

“His answer to me was that it was the normal action for a centre half but I think it’s a penalty.

“If it’s not then he has to bring it back outside the penalty box and give us a free-kick.”

A spirited Blues side seemed to be heading for a hard earned point against the second placed Trotters.

But an injury time effort from Mark Beevers saw the Shrimpers suffer a heart-breaking defeat which Brown found tough to take.

“This is a really bitter defeat,” said Brown.

“In the first half we didn’t really play and we got sucked into Bolton’s way of playing which was quite direct which is understandable when you have a threat like Gary Madine up top.

“But we got sucked into being one dimensional into Nile Ranger and I was delighted to be 0-0 at half-time because we hadn’t performed.

“We had a word at half-time and I expected a better performance after that.

“We did well for 25 minutes and were starting to turn the screw in terms of the ebb and flow of the game.

“But then the professionalism of the opposition was there for everyone to see.

“They slowed the game down and waited until they got a foothold in the game which they did.”

That eventually led to Bolton’s late winner and the manner of the goal also frustrated Brown as Beevers netted from Filipe Morais’ left wing corner.

“Bolton are a strong team from set pieces and they play for them,” said Brown.

“But they got the set piece at the end following a poor decision from a winger defending.

“The cross came in, the keeper makes a great save but then they score from the corner.

“Good luck to Bolton but I’m bitterly disappointed to lose the game after putting so much into it.

“However, we’ve had 12 points from five games and if we get 12 points in the last five we’ll be somewhere near.”

Blues stay sixth in the League One table despite the defeat but are now only above seventh placed Millwall on goal difference.