Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer

Portmore United's Ricardo Cousins (right) looks to shield the ball away from an August Town player in Wray and Nephew National Premier League action at the Barbican Football Field on Sunday. The game ended 0-0. - Winston Sill / Freelance Photographer

THE ugly sight of players disrespectfully flailing their arms at officials met its match at Ferdie Neita Park on Sunday when referee Hughill Thompson ejected Boys' Town's Troy Dawes eight minutes inside the second half of their away game against Naggo Head.

Dawes was one of three players sent packing by FIFA referee Thompson during the Wray and Nephew Premier League match, which Boys' Town ended with nine men.

Naggo Head's Carlos Barrett, a 62nd minute substitute, lasted eight minutes on the field as he was sent to the showers for dangerous play, flashing an elbow at his opponent.

Boys' Town's other ejected player, Oneil Thompson, was already on a first-half yellow card for dissent when he brought down a player from behind to earn a second caution early in the second half.

Clamp down

Thompson said local referees are trying to clamp down on dissent being shown by players.

In recent years, incidents of dissent have been on the increase as local players mimic the millionaires plying their trade in Europe, facing off with referees' and arguing with assistants.

However, Thompson is out to nip dissent on the local scene.

"We're trying to be more stringent," said the FIFA referee after the 0-0 stalemate.

"The laws of the game state that dissent, by way of words or action, is a cautionable offence," he explained.

Dawes, who had brought down a Naggo Head player from behind and was about to be cautioned, rudely flashed his hand at Thompson in midfield before the referee could arm himself with his yellow card.

Rushing in to Dawes, Thompson was quicker on the draw the second time around and had his red card in hand in a flash while pointing in the direction of the club house at Ferdie Neita Park.

Earlier in the first half, Thompson, a national player, picked up his first yellow card after the referee refused to make a foul call in his favour as he attacked Naggo Head's goal area.

Lambasting the referee

Thompson reacted by lambasting the nearby assistant referee, who kept his flag down, indicating the opposing player had made a legitimate clearance near the edge of his 18-yard box.

As the player sat on his haunches arguing with the linesman, referee Thompson sprinted over to the right side of the field and promptly showed the midfielder his first yellow card.

"The referee's decision is final," said Thompson. "If the referee blows for a foul, there is no way that can be changed by a player's action and they have to respect that," the FIFA referee pointed out.

However, Thompson said discretion plays a big part in a referee's decision to caution for dissent.

"It won't happen every time," he said. "It depends on how it is done. I was out in the middle of the field and everybody saw what he did.

"A little discretion can be used but in his case he brought down the player, was about to be cautioned and openly showed dissent by flashing me off before I got the card out so I punished him with a straight red for the greater offence," Thompson explained.