Chelmsford City 2, Aveley 0

MILLERS left Chelmsford on Saturday with a sense of injustice after going down in a National League South clash to a goal in each half – but the talking point was the performance of Issac Searle who sent off three players and Aveley manager Danny Scopes.

Other members of the Millers backroom team were also disciplined by the ref at half time, including one of the physios being sent to the stands.

The first half was played out with little between the Essex derby rivals but there was to be a dramatic conclusion to it.

It would be fair to say Mr Searle's decision-making had perplexed both sides and he was on the front foot with a warning the home bench for dissent after just 15 minutes.

Aveley's Ryan Carr was booked soon after, which most Millers followers believed was a hard decision and that sense of disappointment was doubled on 43 minutes when Carr received a second yellow after being judged to have prevented the Clarets from taking a quick free kick.

And within moments Chelmsford were ahead. The half was three minutes into added time when Chelmsford got the ball into the box and in the melee that followed Cameron James forced the ball home – with Aveley making unanswered pleas for a handball in the scramble.

The goal appeared to have lit a fuse and things spilled over when play restarted.

Clarets Finley Barbrook and Aveley substitute Garrett Kelly sparked a mass coming together between both sets of players in the middle of the pitch and the outcome was a red card for Kelly and the home side's Charlie Ruff.

Aveley's management gave Mr Searle a hard time when the half finally came to an end but tempers were not assuaged and five minutes after the restart comments from Scopes got him a red card too.

Things calmed down a bit after that and it was to be Chelmsford who sealed the match thanks to a fine strike from distance from Jermaine Francis in 69 minutes when he picked up a headed clearance, took his time and lashed a sweetly struck strike into the top corner of Jonathan North's net.

Aveley have little time to lick their wounds, they are back in action on Monday at Parkside  when they welcome league leaders Yeovil Town.