The former Leamington stopper came out to the edge of his penalty area to collect a harmless-looking through ball before he was challenged by the onrushing Bridgnorth No.5 Richard Golding.

Morris raised his arms in an attempt to brush aside the challenge and promptly saw red from match referee Brian Boyle.

With Town youth team star striker Jamie Molyneux sacrificed to make way for substitute keeper, Sam Brady, Bridgnorth skipper Jason Pike smashed home the spot-kick to equalise for the visitors.

Town then looked out of sorts as their 10 men struggled against the odds and it was the “villain of the peace” Golding who further enraged the home supporters when he converted a Pike cross from the left at the far post 12 minutes from time to take the points back to Shropshire.

The DCS Stadium crowd were incensed by the penalty award and subsequent sending off with cries of “cheat, cheat” ringing around the ground aimed at Golding.

The match official also had to endure a barrage of criticism as he left the field at the end.

A seasoned Town supporter of many years standing told me after the game: “In all the years that I’ve been following the Town I’ve never heard the crowd react like that. It just doesn’t happen here.”

But Town boss Titterton had no complaints after the match. He said: “We never looked like a unit from the start of the game.

"I said to them at half-time that if we could play as poorly as that and be 1-0 up imagine what we could do if we stepped it up a gear.

“But then Morris goes and does something like that and it costs us the game. It might have looked soft and the lad went down easily but you just can’t raise your hands no matter what the situation.

"The crazy thing was that he had already caught the ball and there was absolutely no danger.

“There is a positive to be taken that because of our long-term injuries it has given opportunities for the youngsters to come into the squad. But they are going to have to become men sooner rather than later.”

An action-packed start to the game saw Bridgnorth awarded a controversial penalty after just two minutes when

Stratford midfielder Ricky Baker was adjudged to have handled the ball on the edge of the box when the ball bounced up and caught him.

But Pike’s effort from the spot was well saved by Morris who got down well to his left.

The Meadowmen then had a couple of further efforts that tested Morris and belied their recent patchy form in the league.

But after Thompson headed a Danny Haynes’ free-kick just over, it was the big front man who put his side ahead 10 minutes before the break.

Again, Haynes was the provider with a free-kick, but this time it was controlled by Molyneux who fed Thompson on the edge of the six-yard box and he made no mistake with a low shot into the bottom corner of the net.

At half-time their was no hint of the drama to come, but after Morris’s moment of madness gifted the visitors an equaliser it was always going to be a struggle with 10 men.

Liam Reynolds had a late effort go just wide of the post but in the end, four minutes of stoppage time also couldn’t produce an equaliser.

Town: Morris, Faulds, Ward (Edgington 55), Reynolds, Haynes, Parker, Holford, Murphy, Thompson (Beckley 70), Molyneux (Brady 60), Baker. Substitute not used: Wright.

Attendance: 161.

Marston’s man of the match: Mark Faulds.

Coventry Sphinx are now the clear leaders in the Midland Alliance after they came from behind to win 2-1 at home to Boldmere St Michaels on Saturday and go four points clear at the top.

Nearest challengers, Westfields, were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw at lowly Alvechurch.

The biggest losers of the day were Studley who crashed 5-0 at Tividale.

The Bees lie fourth from bottom of the league table and face a trip to Heath Hayes on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.