Peter Taylor branded Omar Daley “selfish” over the red card that will rule him out for City until the second game of next season.

The winger was sent off on his comeback from a hamstring injury after lashing out at Chesterfield defender Dan Gray.

Daley, who had been on the pitch for only nine minutes as a substitute, could be hit with a maximum fine of two weeks’ wages by the club.

He is automatically banned for the next three matches, taking in the opening fixture in August.

Boss Peter Taylor blasted: “It’s very disappointing and I can assure you there will be a discipline in place and it’s going to cost him a lot of money. What he’s done is a bit selfish.

“Omar told me that the fella was winding him up, pinching and grabbing him. But you cannot lower your standards, you’ve got to rise above that.

“You have to be more disciplined because what happens? Their fella doesn’t get a card and our man gets three matches, which means he’s going to miss the start of next season. It’s ridiculous.”

Gareth Evans was standing nearby when Daley struck Gray off the ball and admitted he was shocked with what happened.

The striker said: “I didn’t actually see the incident but just heard someone hitting the deck.

“But I think there’s more than meets the eye with it, according to what Omar said in the changing room.”

Evans rescued a point at Saltergate with an equaliser just four minutes after Daley’s dismissal, stretching City’s unbeaten run to four games.

Taylor said: “We’re a little bit more difficult to play against at the minute. They carried on believing.

“We’ve got some good pros here and they’re not going to lie down even at 1-0 down with ten men.

“When you’ve got players with the fitness of Gareth and Gavin Grant – blimey, they play like two men each at times.”

Jon Bateson (ill) and Matt Glennon (shoulder injury) both failed to make the trip.