STUART McCall felt City were justified in trying to get Romain Vincelot’s ban reduced.

The club yesterday failed in their appeal against the captain’s three-match suspension for his Carabao Cup red card.

City did not dispute the dismissal but argued that it did not warrant the same punishment as more serious foul play.

McCall said: “Violent conduct, whether it’s smashing someone with an elbow or going over the top, will mean three games.

“Romain’s wasn’t malicious; it’s misjudged. It was slightly late.

“The boy didn’t have treatment, it was in front of their fans shouting ‘off, off, off’ and the referee has a look at the lad rolling about.

“Romain doesn’t catch him on the ankle, which you think it looks like, but on the side of the leg.

“He sees the ball and thinks he can nip in there but the lad just takes a touch before he goes in.

“There was no intent. Their player didn’t have any treatment and went on to buzz about without any injury to him.

“I understand why the referee gave the red card and don’t dispute it. But is that comparable to somebody throwing an elbow in the face and doing something really nasty? I don’t think it is.”

McCall, who will field Matt Kilgallon alongside Nathaniel Knight-Percival in the middle of defence at Gillingham tomorrow, has prided himself on City’s disciplinary record.

They did not have a single red card or suspension last season.

“The players know we’re disciplined,” he added. “They get fined if there’s any backchat or stupid yellow cards.

“Obviously you want to put in tackles and challenges but it’s not like that.

“A lot of bookings nowadays are for stupid things like scoring a goal and taking your shirt off.

“Well don’t do it. I’m not a killjoy, you can do as many cartwheels or roly-polies as you want.

“But the rule is don’t take your shirt off so don’t do it – or run into the crowd and cause a problem like that.

“We were very disciplined last year. We didn’t surround the referee in six and sevens.”

City registered their plea just before the 1pm deadline yesterday - only to hear it had been rejected three hours later. But McCall thought they were right to give it a go.

He said: “I appealed a couple of things in Scotland and won them. But sometimes Motherwell wanted me to appeal on incidents I didn’t believe in and I didn’t think it was right to do it.

“It was a wrong decision from Romain at the time and he realises that.

“But while there was a means of appeal on the length of it, I think it was worth a try.”

Vincelot will also miss City’s games against Blackburn and Walsall.