BAFFLED Michael Carrick said he "couldn't understand" why Plymouth's Mickel Miller wasn't sent off for his second half challenge on Isaiah Jones when the Middlesbrough winger was in on goal.

With Boro leading 3-2 at the time, Jones only had home keeper Michael Cooper to beat but was sent sprawling by Miller on the edge of the box - yet referee Darren England only gave the home defender a yellow card rather than a red.

Carrick was furious at the decision, which he described as a "massive moment in the game". Less than 10 minutes later, Argyle equalised to make it 3-3, which is how it finished.

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"I just don't understand it," said Carrick.

"I haven't spoken to the referee or the fourth official. It's pointless.

"But speaking to our bench who are 10 yards behind me, he (the referee) said he (Jones) was running away from goal towards the touchline, so he's obviously got that wrong because his angle, he (Jones) was heading direct to goal. It probably was outside the box but I don't really know what else you need to do to get a red card.

"It's a massive moment in the game. We were in a really good place at that time and it probably would have finished the game off for us.

"It's frustrating when that type of decision happens. Some of them you get, some you struggle to understand and I really found that one difficult to understand."

Josh Coburn had put Boro ahead at the midway stage of the first half before a quickfire double from the home side.

Coburn levelled with a tap-in rebound on the hour mark after the striker initially had a penalty saved, before Sam Greenwood put Boro back in front. Boro were well on top and looked set for three points when the Jones incident occurred, and to rub salt into the wound Plymouth equalised 13 minutes from time when Morgan Whitakker's free-kick from the right bounced through a crowded box and into the far corner.