George Elokobi said Raphe Brown’s red card was a case of mistaken identity after late drama in Maidstone’s derby draw at Tonbridge.
Brown is set to miss the Stones’ FA Cup third-round tie against Stevenage on January 6 after picking up a second yellow card at Longmead on Boxing Day.
He’d been substituted in the closing stages to protect him from the threat of a second caution. But he was picked out following a skirmish in front of the away dugout after Jordan Higgs’ 94th-minute leveller for Tonbridge in a 1-1 draw.
Brown, however, was an innocent bystander, with Timmy Abraham the guilty party. Abraham tried to take responsibility but Brown was dismissed by referee Nick Dunn. “They came and celebrated in front of our dugout which I thought was a little bit over the top,” said Stones boss Elokobi. “We don’t do that as a football club.