The turning point of yesterday's game came in the 53rd minute when Biss, who was the first-half hero with a 39th-minute goal into a stiff nor'westerly, had an early shower after Riley flashed a red card for what he deemed to be a reckless challenge on a breakaway Rangers player just outside the 18m box following a cornerkick.
Three minutes later Greatholder blew his gasket, wanting to know from Riley why a throw-in was asked to be retaken before turning to ask ref's assistant, Gordon Harris, how sharp his 20-20 vision was.
The referee marched up to banish Greatholder from the dugout despite player/coach Bill Robertson stepping in to remonstrate.
"I was frustrated from the decision a minute or two before that, I guess, but I was talking in a civil manner and he asked me sit down and then I don't know why he sent me off," Greatholder said after finding a perch on the balcony of the main grandstand.
"It was a big game for us and we've turned it on so we can't ask for any more but, unfortunately, the referee has had a bigger impact in the game than we'd like him to have."
He said the sending off of Biss had professional foul written all over it.
"In the game we call it a good foul, sometimes, because he knew the guy was going to skip past him so he's left his leg out there and brought him down and it's a booking which is fair enough.
"But it's a ridiculous decision in my opinion and one that didn't need to be made and it's changed the game and that's unfortunate."
While accepting Riley acted on what he saw, Greatholder was adamant the whistle blower had got it horribly wrong.
The assistant coach juxtaposed Biss' foul with that of Rangers midfielder Mikhail Bredeveldt, who in the 21st minute hacked down Rovers leftback Fergus Neil from behind to receive what Riley audibly declared "a high-end yellow card" amid howls from Greatholder.
"If you look at the two decisions, the first one didn't get punished as well as our one. He said 'high-end' yellow and it probably was that but it should have been the same for Bissy."
That result was disappointing for the Blues, who had been together for several months.
The wind was a major factor in the first 45 minutes and it felt like they were a man down.
Greatholder said they would have gone into halftime satisfied with a scoreless ledger but 1-0 was a bonus "because it was all us even when we were down to 10 men [in the second half]".
Technically, the Blues were sound and showed the right attitude, desire and commitment to play attractive footy in trying conditions.
"To not get any points out of it is tough."
It was a big toss to win, he said, and the visitors chose to run with the wind from the hockey stadium end of the park but his men had absorbed that pressure.
The Rovers need to win their remaining four games now and hope other results go in their favour.
It was Greatholder's maiden ejection from the sidelines and last night he intended to clarify with Riley whether he would be suspended. The Blues would revisit the incident on videotape but he saw no point in appealing the decision.
Rangers coach Wiremu Patrick didn't think there was "any malice" from Biss but the ref's ruling had to be upheld. "I think he was just enthusiastic to make a challenge and got his timing wrong. I don't think there was any intent to hurt but just to win the ball. Unfortunately when you go in with the studs showing, well ... the ref's got to make a decision, doesn't he?"
Patrick was circumspect about Bredeveldt's yellow card.
"I think Mickey's challenge was late but he didn't show his studs so you have to ask the referee that but it might have been the difference."
It was Wellington-like "crazy weather" but Patrick counted his blessing when the wind gusts subsided considerably in the second half.
"I don't think we used it as well as what we should have so we got a bit of luck there that it died down."
Patrick felt the Rovers were still in the driving seat but reiterated Miramar, who are still in Chatham Cup contention, would keep striving on their mathematical chance of clinching a double. Wellington Olympic, Western Suburbs and Stop Out also were still in the mix.
Ironically, the 10-men Rovers gallantly soldiered on and looked like scoring a couple of times in the 15-minute spell after Biss was sent off.
However, Miramar equalised 1-1 in the 69th minute from substitute Niko Kirwan, justifying Patrick's decision seconds earlier as a dejected Richard Bott trudged off shaking his head.
The Blues needed fresh legs and Greatholder was conspicuous in his absence to rectify that.
The cruel blow for the Blues came from midfielder Ben Harris, 2-1, a minute from regulation time to deafening silence from fans who had earlier jeered the officials.
