Sutton United captain Glen Southam was left “devastated” at being slapped with a six-game ban following his second red card this season.

Referee Rob Hyde dismissed Southam for use of an elbow in Saturday’s Conference South 0-0 draw at Concord Rangers.

It is the second time in five months the United midfielder has seen red against the Beach Boys, after being sent off on his debut in September.

He had been about to start a two-game ban for accumulating 10 yellow cards, and now he is out of action until March 21.

Southam said: "Unfortunately it is not good news. The cameramen haven’t got Saturday’s incident on the video replay, so we can’t appeal.

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"I am absolutely devastated about it as I will miss the next six games. I had never been sent off in my career until the start of this season.

“I have had two sendings off this season and neither were sendings off.”

He added: "I am one million per cent certain we would have won that appeal."

Southam got his marching orders after assistant referee Stuart Cheek brought the referee’s attention to an off-the- ball incident involving the skipper and the Beach Boys’ Alex Woodyard.

The 34-year-old said: “I know what happened, for sure, on Saturday.

“I was flabbergasted. I ran past the player. He got a little touch, nothing that would knock anyone to the floor. He made the most of it.

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Debut: Glen Southam's Sutton United debut came against Concord Rangers, but he would not finish the game after seeing red

“A lot of fuss was being made from their bench and the players said that I caught him at the back of the head.

“I turned round and said: ‘That is not possible’.”

He added: “I have never missed six games in my career and it is massively hard.”

And after 17 seasons before this one without a red card, Southam was quick to defend his disciplinary record.

He said: “I have not changed as a player and I won’t change how I play.

“At the end of the day, we are 22 players playing for their jobs and it is competitive. “We are playing in a man’s game where people are going to swear and foul and we want to win.”

His prolonged absence coincides with United’s five-game unbeaten run ahead of Saturday's match with Weston-super-Mare at Gander Green Lane.

“If we play the way we have been it is hard to beat us. The team is more than good enough to compete at the top. I can't see this run ending,” he said.