Red alert when Preston North End are refereed by Keith Stroud

Referee Keith Stroud shows the red card to Preston right-back Joe Rafferty against Fulham

The Hampshire official has sent six players off in the 15 PNE games he has been in the middle for.

Tuesday night’s two red cards when North End beat Fulham 2-1 at Deepdale was nothing new.

The first time Mr Stroud took charge of Preston in January 2008, he dismissed Youl Mawene and Chris Brown in a 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion.

Fulham defender Denis Odoi is shown the red card by Keith Stroud for a foul on Preston's Patrick Bauer

He kept the red card in his side pocket for the next six games bur produced it again in February 2016 when he sent Sheffield Wednesday’s Fernando Forestieri for an early bath in PNE’s 1-0 win over the Owls at Deepdale.

Last season, Mr Stroud sent-off North End’s Josh Earl in January’s 1-1 draw with Swansea.

Then in the 2-1 win at Middlesbrough in March, he gave a straight red to Boro’s Daniel Ayala – a card which was rescinded on appeal by the FA.

Mr Stroud produced both red cards before half-time in midweek against Fulham and there could be no complaints about either.

Cottagers left-back Denis Odoi went in the 28th minute for clattering shoulder first into Patrick Bauer’s face.

Joe Rafferty took the same walk to the tunnel in the 45th minute, again a straight red for a lunge on Joe Bryan.

Rafferty was the first North End player to be sent off this season as the campaign reached the 21-game mark.

In general, Alex Neil’s side have been quite well behaved this season.

They are the 12th best behaved Championship side, having got 37 yellow cards and Rafferty’s red.

Darnell Fisher has got nine of those bookings and Ben Pearson six – the midfielder was booked in the Fulham game.