NEWPORT County AFC captain Joss Labadie has apologised for the red card that cost the promotion hopefuls dearly at Oldham Athletic on Saturday.

The Exiles lost 3-2 at Boundary Park to stretch their winless streak in League Two to seven games, going back to their win at Grimsby on December 8.

Their chances of getting back to winning ways were slim from the moment that Labadie was dismissed for raising his left arm into the face of Marcel Hilssner in the 14th minute in Oldham.

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The score was 1-1 when Labadie saw red and County responded once on the stroke of half-time to going behind but couldn’t repeat the trick after Mickey Demetriou’s own goal on 74 minutes.

“Want to apologise to my teammates and fans today for letting you all down,” Labadie Tweeted on Saturday evening, presumably from the team bus.

“Although I didn’t make any contact with the opposition player, I tried to brush him off after being fouled, I take full responsibility and should know better for putting myself and team in that position.”

Manager Michael Flynn criticised his skipper after the game and will be without him for three games, while playmaker Josh Sheehan serves the final game of his three-match suspension against Carlisle on Tuesday night at Rodney Parade.

The boss said that the dismissal – the third of Labadie’s County career – would not affect his role as club captain but was livid with the 30-year-old.

“I’ve said that he has let me down, he has let his teammates down and it’s not good enough. He gave the referee the chance to send him off,” said Flynn.

“A lack of discipline has cost us the game, as simple as that. He kicked out – it was soft but a red card.

“But Oldham should have had a red card for the challenge on David Longe-King – it was a lot worse than the one that Josh Sheehan did [when sent off against Salford last weekend].”