STRIKER David Brown admitted he is devastated to be missing a crucial part of Accrington Stanley's League Two campaign after his appeal over Saturday's red card failed.

The hitman was sent off by referee Graham Laws in the last minute of the clash with Hereford after scoring the opening goal against his former club.

His tackle on Danny Thomas, who was still in his own half, was ruled 'serious foul play' and the 28-year-old will now miss the next three games.

The Reds paid £350 to appeal to the Football Association against the dismissal but it was upheld on Tuesday.

"I am so disappointed," said Brown, on only his second red card in his career.

"There had been one or two fouls in the game but I was talking to the referee throughout the game and he seemed okay and was laughing and joking.

"Then to be sent off for that tackle just amazed me. It wasn't high, he wasn't the last man and I couldn't believe it. I almost laughed as I was so bemused.

"I asked the referee after the game if he would have a look at it and he said he would.

"I genuinely thought that I had a good chance on the appeal as, if they watched the video, they would have seen straight away that it wasn't a sending off. I have seen it time and time again.

"I don't know how it works at the appeal but it just makes a mockery of the system. You get the right to appeal if you feel there is a wrong doing but then nothing is done."

Most people in the ground agreed the sending off was harsh including, as well as his ex-team-mates, his former boss Graham Turner.

"It was not a red card," said the Hereford chief.

Brown will miss the next three games and is gutted as, after making just seven starts this season, he put on a solid show on Saturday which should have meant a start tomorrow at automatic promotion contenders Walsall.

"John Coleman has said he will ring the Football League if the appeal doesn't work but I don't hold out much hope," said the former Chester striker.

"It is just so disappointing especially to miss three games because of it and after I had just got back into the team. It would have been harsh to miss one game and it is such an important part of the season."

It was a sad end after Brown had scored a 20-yard screamer in the 2-0 win over the Bulls to make it two wins in two games for the Reds and boost their hopes of avoiding the drop with seven games left.

"Sometimes you just know and I hit it well and there was a bend on it and it just curled into the net," he said.

"But I do seem to have a knack of scoring against my former clubs. I have always done it. I don't know why - but it is always nice to score against Hereford, or any of your old clubs."

Brown has made a total of just 15 appearances this season and scored four goals which is a decent return of a goal every 3.75 games. His contract finishes at the end of this campaign.

"I am no different to anyone else as quite a few players are coming to the end of their contract and are obviously thinking about their options for next season," he added. "But first and foremost we want to make sure that Accrington stay up."