Dozzell banned as Sunderland red card appeal fails

Andre Dozzell will serve a three-game ban after the FA rejected Ipswich Town’s bid to get his suspension overturned.

The midfielder was sent off in the 73rd-minute of Town’s eventual 2-1 defeat to Sunderland on Tuesday night, for a foul on former Town player Grant Leadbitter on half way.

Referee Peter Wright produced a red card to the shock of the Ipswich players and coaches, with manager Paul Lambert insisting his side would appeal the decision.

However, that appeal has been rejected and his ban will stand.

MORE: ‘I’m hot and angry... what are we doing with the game of football?’ – Lambert on 2-1 defeat at Sunderland“I don’t think I can comment,” said Lambert after the game, when asked about those two key incidents.

“You look at Andre Dozzell... anybody looking at that incident has got to have the common sense to rescind that (red card). That wasn’t, in a million years, a sending off. The actual foul is on Andre himself.”

Dozzell will now miss Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Portsmouth and the League One games with Shrewsbury and Hull.

He is available for Tuesday night’s game with Crawley in the Papa John’s Trophy, with suspensions in that competition ring-fenced.