Hannah Wilkinson sent off after contact with assistant referee in Football Ferns loss

At Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida, Santiago, Chile: Chile 3 (Daniela Zamora 27’, Yenny Acuña 29’, Yesenia López 47’) Football Ferns 0. HT: 2-0

Red card: Hannah Wilkinson 55’

Centurion striker Hannah Wilkinson was sent off after making contact with an assistant referee early in the second half of the Football Ferns’ 3-0 loss to Chile in Santiago.

The 119-cap veteran appeared to hit the match official’s arm as she spun around in frustration after not being awarded a foul when she was blatantly pushed in the back near the sideline 10 minutes after halftime.

The red card for the ugly incident was a further stain on a poor performance in New Zealand’s first outing since hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup alongside Australia in July.

Wilkinson is likely to receive a significant ban from international football. Coach Jitka Klimková said her behaviour was “not acceptable” and she will now have no choice but to explore other options ahead of next year’s Paris Olympics.

The FIFA disciplinary code calls for a suspension of at least four matches or an appropriate period of time for “unsporting behaviour towards a match official,” rising to at least 10 matches for “intimidating or threatening a match official” and at least 15 matches for “assaulting a match official, including … hitting”.

NZ Football has been asked to clarify what the referee deemed Wilkinson’s offence to be.

Klimková said “emotions were involved” with the Ferns playing for the first time since their home World Cup campaign, which began with the high of Wilkinson scoring a winner against Norway, but ended with them failing to make it out of their group.

At the same, she said: “This is not acceptable for us. We don’t want to see those kinds of behaviours in the future”.

Wilkinson’s fellow forwards Gabi Rennie and Indiah-Paige Riley both had early chances to put the Ferns in front on the artificial turf at Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida, but sent their attempts well off target.

All three Chilean goals involved the crossbar of Vic Esson’s goal, with the first coming in the 27th minute, when Daniela Zamora followed up after the Ferns goalkeeper tipped Yesenia López’s shot onto the woodwork.

Chile doubled their lead just four minutes later, as the Ferns failed to settle, getting in behind Rebekah Stott then holding her off while sending a half-volleyed attempt over Esson and in off the crossbar.

The Ferns’ finally put some shots on target near the end of the first half, with CJ Bott driving a shot towards the bottom right-hand corner from a free kick, which Chile goalkeeper Christiane Endler was easily able to get down to.

Rennie then met a cross from Satchell on the right on the volley, but could only steer it comfortably into Endler’s arms.

Esson was also called on to keep Chile at bay, but was unable to stop them adding a third two minutes into the second half, when López got the jump on the Ferns’ defenders after Karen Araya hit the crossbar from outside the box.

Milly Clegg, on for Rennie at halftime, forced Endler into making a save at her near post after winning the ball high up the pitch on the right.

But once Wilkinson was sent from the field, the Ferns’ chances of an already-unlikely comeback were put to rest.

The two teams meet again behind closed doors on Tuesday [kickoff 3am Wednesday NZ time].