Jimmy Mullen is still “flabbergasted” at his second half dismissal from the dug out at Bristol Rovers.

The Saddlers boss was given his marching orders midway through the second half of his side’s 3-1 victory at the Memorial Stadium, thanks to a brace from Michael Ricketts and Stephen Roberts’ first goal in three years.

Mullen claimed referee Mike Russell failed to give him a reason for why he was sent off.

He said: “I am flabbergasted because I am a passionate guy, I want my team to play well and I want my team to win. Maybe I encroach now and again but what is wrong with that?

“I just feel I have done nothing wrong, all I have done is support my team. I have not sworn, I have not made any gestures towards the linesman and I have not said anything.

“In my opinion all I have done is encourage my team to win the game.

“That is what football is all about, to be told you have to go into the stands is incredible. The referee just said ‘will you take your place in the stands’.”

Mullen was left to talk to the Hertfordshire official after the game but was under the impression he has been dismissed for encroaching outside his technical area.

He said: “I would think, what I am led to believe, and what I have heard from the staff, is continued encroachment over the area. You get some areas which are two yards and some areas which are 12 yards so I have to get used to them.”

His dismissal didn’t dampen Mullen’s mood after a fantastic performance from his side, who kept the League One top scorers at bay for most of the game.

He said: “The team were brilliant, absolutely brilliant, they did everything I asked of them. We wanted to win the game, because we wanted to get the blues out of our system from last week.

“We defended well, we attacked well and we took our chances well – and we got the luck, which I think, we deserved.

“We knew we had a handful to deal with, because Rickie Lambert had scored six in five and Darryl Duffy had got three in five. We dealt with it really well and I am proud of the lads.”

The win also vindicated the five changes Mullen made and his decision to hand first starts of the season to Rhys Weston and Dwayne Mattis, after their recovery from injury.

He said: “I made a few changes. I thought it was right to make them and they proved me right. It was a great performance from everyone, individually and as a group.

“My head tells me I have to do things sometimes and I felt the time to change things was right.”

Mullen admitted he gambled at throwing man of the match Weston into the fray, after the defender had missed pre-season with a calf injury and had only completed two reserve games.

He said:  “It might have been a gamble on my behalf but it was a gamble I took because I believe he is a good player.

“He is good for us and he proved it. His performance was fantastic.”