STEVENAGE manager Graham Westley says Newport County AFC have no chance of winning their appeal against Aaron O’Connor’s red card.

County striker O’Connor was shown a straight red for kicking out at Stevenage defender Dean Wells at the end of Saturday’s 2-0 win for the hosts at Rodney Parade.

Exiles boss Justin Edinburgh is adamant that referee Brendan Malone made a mistake and the club have lodged a formal appeal with the Football League.

A decision is due on Thursday but Westley believes the red card will stand and O’Connor, who scored the first goal against Stevenage, will serve a three-game ban that will start at Luton Town this weekend.

Westley said: “It wouldn’t have surprised me to see it given as a yellow, but the boy booted Wellsy after the ball had gone.

“It might not have been the most dangerous thing in the world, but you can’t boot someone’s ankles.

“If I had done it I might feel a bit daft for doing it, but I probably wouldn’t feel I had much of an argument.”

Meanwhile Wells has accused County midfielder Lee Minshull of making a ‘rugby tackle’ on Chris Beardsley which led to the second crucial goal for Edinburgh’s side.

Rodney Parade might be the home of Newport Gwent Dragons and Newport RFC as well as the Exiles but Wells was surprised that the goal stood.

Darren Jones was played onside by the grounded Beardsley, left floored by Minshull, and was able to fire in on the stroke of half-time as the referee and his assistant had not spotted any infringement.

Wells fumed: “The second goal, well Beardo is on the floor. There’s a rugby tackle. But, no excuses, we conceded again from a set-piece.”

Boss Westley said his players appealed against the decision to allow it to stand because striker Beardsley had been ‘wrestled to the ground’ and therefore played Jones onside.

“I think the appeal was more for the foul on Beardsley which took him to the ground,” Westley said.

“Beardo said he played Jones on, but the appeal was for the foul.

“The referee had talked to them. He had a conversation with them, and then Beardo was wrestled to the ground and lying on the ground plays him onside.”