Brighton's Barnes handed seven-match ban after tripping referee at the Reebok (From The Bolton News)

Brighton's Barnes handed seven-match ban after tripping referee at the Reebok

5:26pm Friday 15th March 2013 in Sport By Marc Iles

BRIGHTON'S Ashley Barnes has been handed a whopping seven-game ban for deliberately tripping referee Nigel Miller.

The 23-year-old striker was handed a straight red card in stoppage time by the County Durham official as Wanderers secured a vital 1-0 win against their play-off rivals.

Barnes was handed an immediate four-match ban because it was his second dismissal of the season but that was extended by another three games at a disciplinary meeting of the Football Association today.

And that means the former Plymouth Argyle man will only be available for the last three games of the season.