AN AGGRIEVED Jim Magilton is today considering appealing against the severity of his punishment by the FA after being handed a two-match touchline ban and a £500 fine.

By Derek Davis

AN AGGRIEVED Jim Magilton is today considering appealing against the severity of his punishment by the FA after being handed a two-match touchline ban and a £500 fine.

While the Ipswich Town boss admitted a charge of using insulting or abusive words to referee Mark Clattenburg in the dying stages of their defeat at Preston in mid-March and gave a written apology, the penalty for a first offence handed out last night, seems harsh.

Magilton, in his first season as a manager, was upset when the Premiership official allowed just three minutes of time added on when there had been lengthy injury periods, a goal, bookings and substitutions. The Irishmen made his feelings clear and was sent to the stands.

Ipswich Town will point to recent punishments meted out to angry managers in similar circumstances. Southend United boss Steve Tilson was fined £50, with no touchline ban, after admitting a similar offence, while veteran boss Harry Redknapp was fined £750 but again was not sent to the stands after Portsmouth's game against Manchester City,.

Magilton has two weeks to lodge an appeal against both the severity of the fine and the two-match ban but if that fails then the Blues boss would have to sit in the stands for the last two games of the season, Leeds (away) and Cardiff (home).