THE fog at the Priestfield Stadium was followed by descending red mist as Burnley's manager and players reacted angrily to another damaging defeat.

There is no doubt that Gillingham deserved the win but there is no doubt the Clarets cause was not helped by referee Grant Hegley and three of Burnley's five bookings were for dissent.

He dished out cards like a postman delivering at Christmas and it was no surprise that Burnley, who got the bulk of them ended a couple of men down.

But furious Ternent, who made a slow walk to meet the official as he left the pitch, will be appealing both decisions that could see him without Dean West and Gareth Taylor through suspension.

"The problem is you have got amateur people in a a professional field and I say that with all due respect," he seethed.

"The Dean West decision beggars belief as he whacks the ball at him from a yard on the halfway line and sends him off for deliberate handball.

"The ref said that Gareth had head-butted Paul Smith but Gareth says he didn't and Paul Smith says he didn't. It is almost unbelievable."

Ternent's opposite number Andy Hessenthaler is certainly willing to support any Burnley appeal over the second dismissal as he explained: "Stan said to me that if his player had done it he would sort it out.

"But I have spoken to Paul and he says it was nothing and we will help Stan out if we can.

"The other sending off might be right because by the letter of the law it was a goalscoring opportunity, Paul Shaw would have been through but the second one does look harsh."

It would be easy to look at the match and think nine-man Burnley had been harshly treated and in terms of decisions by Mr Hegley, they would have a case.

But the fact of the matter is the dismissals happened in the last ten minutes with the Clarets 4-2 down and only that close because of some great saves by Marlon Beresford in goal.

Burnley have now conceded 45 goals in just 24 games this season and only Grimsby Town have conceded more in the first division with 47.

There may have been justifiable complaints that Rod Wallace's opener was offside but the next three goals were avoidable.

What cannot be avoided is the acceptance that if the defending, from front to back, does not improve, Ternent is right, it will be a very bleak winter.

The shame for the fans who travelled to Kent is that having fallen behind, Burnley should have taken the lead.

Wallace's opener had been cancelled out by their first shot of the game in the 28th minute, Taylor's sharp turn and shot after excellent approach play by the mercurial Robbie Blake.

He can often look like a will o' th' wisp as he glides past defenders and he floated around in the fog to good affect.

And it was he who supplied the superb 40-yard cross field pass that gave Taylor a great chance to make it 2-1. He only had keeper Jason Brown to beat but fired it wide of the keeper's left hand post.

Having got back into the game what they did not need was to concede two late goals in the first half. But when Paul Shaw fought his way past two powder puff challenges from Arthur Gnohere and Ian Moore it was 2-1 and then the Clarets failed to get a challenge in as Gillingham produced a lovely passing move that allowed Smith to slide home a third in stoppage time.

That was just the boost that the Gills needed after a season that had seen them score just ten home goals before Saturday. They came out after the break and put Burnley under pressure and in the 63rd minute Marlon King followed his fellow strikers Shaw and Wallace on to the scoresheet.

Having been denied by a block and then a fine Beresford save he made it third time lucky seconds later when he lost Gnohere in the area and fired the ball home.

A fourth striker, sub Guy Ipoua, would also have netted had it not been for Beresford who denied him three times as the pressure continued.

It was a Burnley sub who was involved in the last goal of the game, Dimitri Papadopoulos winning the penalty that Blake converted after a double dose of trouble. First he had to wrestle the ball off his Greek team mate and then, having fired home in good style, had to take it again because the referee had ruled that Papadopoulos had encroached into the area.

The goal went in 15 minutes from time and, as against Rotherham the week before, an unlikely recovery looked to be on the cards.

Sadly the cards that followed were the red ones for West and Taylor.

Television evidence shows that Taylor did go head to head with Smith but there was no suggestion of a butt. The big striker was no doubt disappointed by the latest defeat and his mind will go back to that chance he missed on the half hour.

He and Blake have both got eight goals to their names this season but it was his failure to net number nine that was to spell the end for Burnley.

Now they must prepare for the visit of Wolves to Turf Moor on Boxing Day and there is little comfort and joy in that prospect given the woeful record they have against the Midlands club.

But one thing is certain, they will have to defend a great deal better than in the last two games if it is not to be three defeats on the bounce.

GILLINGHAM 4

(Wallace 17, Shaw 41, Smith 45, King 63)

BURNLEY 2

(Taylor 28, Blake 75)

Attendance: 7,905 at Priestfield