LEE NOBLE will miss Dartford‘s next four matches after the FA upheld the red card he received against Grimsby last Saturday.
Noble, 23, saw red in the 91st minute of the 3-0 FA Trophy defeat for what was deemed as a stamp on Asward Thomas.
Darts boss Tony Burman had hoped the decision would be overturned on appeal but the Kent club could not provide clear enough evidence for that to be the case.
Speaking to BBC Radio Kent, he said: “Looking at the evidence, I thought there was a case to answer.
“The FA disagreed as it wasn’t clear enough on the evidence we gave them.
“The referee didn’t see the incident, he’s purely gone on what the linesman told him.
“He felt that Lee stamped on the player. In the heat of the moment, I feel the referee and the linesman could have dealt with the situation better.
“If anything two yellow cards would have been OK, if that. When I looked at the DVD, Lee has not stamped on him whatsoever.
“The opposing player’s leg is up in Lee’s groin and taken him off the floor.”
