Maidstone United defender Raphe Brown says officials were guessing when they sent him off in a case of mistaken identity | Second yellow rules him out of Stevenage FA Cup tie

Maidstone defender Raphe Brown has accused the officials of guesswork following his mistaken-identity dismissal.

Brown was incorrectly shown a second yellow card at the end of United’s Boxing Day draw at Tonbridge.

Angels celebrated their injury-time equaliser in front of the visitors’ dugout but Brown, who’d been substituted, was no more than an observer in the fracas that followed.

Referee Nick Dunn sent him off - costing him a place in the Stones’ FA Cup third-round tie against Stevenage next month - after consulting with his linesman.

Timmy Abraham was the man they wanted - admitting his guilt to the officials - but their decision stood.

Brown is free to play in the return game against Tonbridge on New Year’s Day but will miss the Stevenage match on January 6 as second yellow cards cannot be appealed.

“They scored their goal and celebrated in front of our bench,” said Brown.

“Everyone stood up, including myself, but a few players actually engaged in talking and tussling. I just stood up. I didn’t touch anyone, didn’t engage.

“The lino said he saw my number but I had my coat on with a bib over my coat so he can’t have done.

“He was guessing, saying it was him, him him. He didn’t really know. He made a guess and I got a second yellow card. It’s ridiculous.

“Sol (Wanjau-Smith) said to him, ‘Are you 100% sure?’ and he said, ‘You can appeal’ but I said, ‘No, that’s not the rules,’ so he doesn’t even know the rules himself.

“Timmy said it was him, ‘I was doing this, I was doing that’ but they were having none of it.

“They had their minds set on me and that’s what happened.

“It’s gutting because I got taken off so I wouldn’t get a second yellow and somehow, magically, I get a second yellow.

“I wouldn’t do something that