Jason Gavin will miss four games in City's relegation run-in after his second sending-off of the season.

Gavin and Nottingham Forest striker Marlon King were dismissed following their brawl in Saturday's feisty dropzone clash at the City Ground.

The City centre half, who will be fined at least a week's wages, will get an automatic three-match ban after referee Trevor Kettle brandished a straight red card. And he is likely to have an extra game slapped on top because it is his

second offence.

Gavin's ban, which starts against Paul Jewell's Wigan in a fortnight, is another problem City could do without.They go into their first full week back in administration now nine points off safety.

King appeared to elbow Gavin in an aerial challenge and as the players picked themselves up off the floor a fight broke out.

Boss Bryan Robson said: "I thought the referee should have dealt with it that bit earlier after King threw his elbow into Jason's face. But Jason shouldn't have reacted the way he did.

"Once the two of them had thrown a few punches at each other, the referee had no choice but to send them both off."

Dean Windass netted for the third game in a row. But he was awarded his ninth yellow card late on and is now only one short of another two-game suspension.

Forest, who had scored first through Andy Reid, snatched it in stoppage time with a header by sub Gareth Taylor. It was their first win in four months, since a victory at Valley Parade.

Robson was angry that no foul was given for a push on Ronnie Wall-work in the build-up to the goal.

He said: "Referees see things in different ways to us sometimes. But when you're battling you deserve better decisions than what we got."