Thomas apologies for moment of madness

It has cost him a week's wages and a three-match ban. Thomas is full of remorse for his red card inside five minutes in the 1-0 defeat at Mansfield nine days ago.

He insists the incident, in which he head-butted Andy Roscoe, was out of character and has pledged to "try to put things right". Thomas was itching to impress on his return to the starting line-up at Field Mill for the first time since the end of November. But it all went horribly wrong for the former Watford wonder kid and England under-21 international.

"I can remember shielding the ball and as it ran out of play he kicked me, on the blind side of the referee," said Thomas. "Then he confronted me with a few gestures. The adrenalin was flowing, because it was the first time I had started for seven or eight games and it was a reaction which I regret.

"It was more instinctive than something I thought about, but I know I let myself and the team down. For it to happen so soon in the game made it even worse, particularly in our situation where we are trying to find a winning formula. It was as if I went blank for a while, but as soon as I had done it everything was clear and I realised what was going on."

Thomas, 29, spent the rest of the match in the changing room, contemplating how foolish he had been. "When you are actually in the dressing room and you hear the game going on it hits you a bit more and you realise how stupid it was," he said. "There is nothing worse than feeling like you cannot contribute to the side.

"Being a sub is one thing, but when you get sent off that is worse. Any chance I get I should be looking to take. When half-time came certain things were said. I put my hands up and although that didn't mean anything at the time all you can do is apologise to the manager and the team. I am quite tolerant and I am not temperamental at all really, so it was very out of character.

"I didn't go out to watch the rest of the game. I stayed in the dressing room. That was the best thing to do. Going to sit on the bench would have made things seem a lot worse than they already were."

Manager Micky Adams dropped Thomas into the Reserves at Crawley the following night and fined him a week's wages. The 'People's Player', so called after fans forked out for his £25,000 move from Chester 16 months ago, was pleasantly surprised to still be in the squad for last Saturday's match at Hull, where he came on in place of Ian Culverhouse in the second half.

"I suppose in my situation I cannot really grumble too much, because I did something I shouldn't have, particularly as a senior pro," said Thomas. "I left the team without a creative player for 85 minutes, which hindered Darren Freeman and Gary Hart up front. We had a little talk and whatever the punishment was going to be I had to take it on the chin. The manager has handled it very well. I cannot argue with what he has done. Let's just say I was very happy to be in the squad last Saturday."

Thomas has been in and out of the side since Adams took charge, fuelling rifts of a personality clash. Adams has insisted this is nonsense and Thomas concedes the onus is on him to produce the goods on the pitch. "Ever since he came to the club he has given his views on certain things he wants me to do and it is up to me as a player to do what he is looking for to stay in the side," said Thomas. "It has been an in and out season for me, but all I want to do now is look forward, stay positive and focused and try to put things right.

"Over my career I have been sent off I think four times now, but not for anything like this. The last time I got sent off for Brighton it was in the last five minutes against Plymouth for handling the ball on the line. People have asked me what was I thinking of, but it wasn't pre-meditated, just the fact that I was so happy to be in the side and the adrenalin was flowing.

"Various people rang me afterwards and then I saw it on Sky. It looked a lot worse than it actually was because he (Roscoe) went down like a sack of spuds and then he carried on playing. I'm just disappointed that I didn't take my chance to stake a claim in the side."

Thomas kicks off an automatic three-match suspension after Saturday's home clash against Plymouth. The games he misses include the trip to his old club Chester on February 26. He was sidelined from a nostalgic return to the Deva Stadium by injury last season, so the punishment for his recklessness hurts all the more.

"It seems I am not meant to play Chester," he added. "It's a shame because I never had the opportunity to say goodbye properly, but that's all in the past. I'm a Brighton player now. Hopefully I will be able to go to the match anyway. We need to get three points somewhere along the line.

"The lads are obviously disapppointed with the way things are going at the moment, but there is still a good spirit and everyone wants to give 100 per cent towards the cause and the manager's cause."

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