Dundee United midfielder Charlie Telfer was struck in the face but it was the 1-0 defeat that caused him real pain at Pittodrie.
Telfer was felled when Aberdeen’s Barry Robson threw back his arm and caught him with 71 minutes of Saturday’s Premiership clash gone.
It was a clear sending-off offence and there was no doubt Robson would walk, given that the incident was played out just yards away from standside assistant referee Andrew McWilliam.
Match official Bobby Madden took note of his colleague’s version of events and waved the red at the former United captain.
Telfer recovered from that blow and was at pains to say that he didn’t think there was any malice in Robson’s action.
Indeed, he admitted that United’s inability to make their one-man advantage count was what really bothered him.
“He caught me on the nose,” said Telfer, who finished on the losing side thanks to Adam Rooney’s 39th-minute strike for the Dons.
“I don’t think there was any intent in it though.
“It was just one of those things.
“It was a bit of a pain but I wasn’t paying too much attention to what was happening.
“I just felt something coming across my face and striking me but I don’t know if it was an arm or an elbow.
“I had been pressing him and he had his back to me.
“I think, to be fair, he has tried to turn and play the ball down the line.
“While he put his arm back I don’t think there was any intent in it at all.
“What was really pretty frustrating was that I thought we were coming into the game before the red card.
“Maybe we weren’t picking out our final pass well enough but I still felt we were coming into it more.
“The red then changed everything because Aberdeen had something to hold on to and there was no point in their going for it.
“So it probably didn’t help us.
“It is disappointing because it was well within our reach to win the match.
“However, Aberdeen are a well drilled and organised team from back to front so it’s difficult to play them when they have something to hold on to.”
United now have to somehow pick themselves up again because, despite losing once again, they do still have a chance of catching Inverness in third spot, while European football can still be the prize for fourth if Falkirk don’t win the Scottish Cup.
Telfer said: “We still have Europe to look forward to, hopefully, but we need to try to get a bit of form.
“Our main focus is still on third spot and that’s why this result is a blow because we probably should have gotten at least a point.
“The manager is as focused as ever.
“He has been working at keeping his philosophy going the one he has had since day one.
“There is no discontent at all.
“There has been disappointment with results but everyone is digging in.
“We are all trying our hardest.
“It is just not working out for us at the moment.”