AITOR KARANKA has criticised the decision to dismiss Albert Adomah in Middlesbrough’s 0-0 draw with Charlton, and accused referee Gavin Ward of being overruled by his assistant, who was in a worse position to see the incident.

Having already been booked for a 75th-minute foul, Adomah saw red eight minutes later when he was penalised for a challenge on Rhoys Wiggins.

The incident was a controversial one, as Ward initially raised his arm to award a free-kick to Middlesbrough before a conversation with his assistant resulted in him changing his mind.

The official gave the free-kick to Charlton and awarded Adomah a second yellow card, leaving Karanka incandescent on the sidelines.

“How did the referee whistle and give a foul to us, when he was two metres from the foul, and then five or six seconds later, he was overruled by the linesman who told him it was the opposite and a red card? I can’t understand that,” said the Middlesbrough head coach.

“The referee was two or three metres away from the foul, and the linesman was much further away. Anyone can make one mistake, and I am the first to make mistakes myself. But the referee gave a foul and changed his decision, and that was difficult for me to understand.”

To make matters worse, Charlton should already have been down to ten men after Andre Bikey elbowed Patrick Bamford in the head as the striker attempted to break away from him.

Bikey, who made 37 appearances for Boro during the 2012-13 season, escaped without punishment despite the incident occurring in clear view of both Ward and his assistant.

“I can’t really say anything about the first one (Bikey) because the linesman was much closer than me,” said Karanka. “I can’t say anything about that. But the second one (Adomah) is difficult for me to understand.”

Kenneth Omeruo failed to finish the game at The Valley after hobbling off with an injury in the second half, but Karanka is hoping the problem is not too serious.

“We hope it is not too bad,” he said. “He was very, very tired, and we hope that’s all it was. He will have a scan and that will show more, but I hope it’s nothing serious.”