YORK City leading marksman Richard Brodie is facing a club fine after being sent off during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Ebbsfleet.

Brodie was red carded midway through the second half at Stonebridge Road after catching home midfielder Dean Pooley with his elbow.

The 27-goal striker’s dismissal came 14 minutes after Moses Ashikodi had opened the scoring for Ebbsfleet and City’s ten men could not conjure up an equaliser as the club slipped to their first league defeat since October 31.

Brodie now faces a three-match ban, starting with tomorrow’s home game with Luton and then encompassing Saturday’s FA Trophy quarter-final at Barrow and the league trip to Mansfield three days later, assuming no replay is required.

Of the action he intends to take against Brodie, City boss Foyle said: “It will be dealt with internally.

“He has been absolutely fantastic for us and he isn’t a malicious lad but he’s raised his arm and cut the lad’s head. We’ve worked hard to take that out of his game and I don’t want to make any further comment on the matter.”

Home manager Liam Daish was furious with the challenge that left Pooley requiring five stitches before taking the field again and he added: “Martin Foyle and the York board have apologised for the incident and I think he (Brodie) did it because he was getting no change out of Darius Charles but you can’t do that.

“Michael Rankine is as good as any striker in this league and Brodie has got 27 goals this season but they did not get a sniff out of goal and what he did was born out of frustration.”

Foyle added that he had few complaints with Middlesex referee Marvin Thompson’s performance but felt that James Meredith was fouled in the build-up to Moses Ashikodi’s goal.

“It was a foul although the referee told me he wasn’t sure,” Foyle said.

“A deflection then caught Michael Ingham out at his near post.”

The City boss believed the game was dominated by defenders and was particularly impressed by Ebbsfleet’s centre-back pairing, saying: “Our lads were very committed and worked hard but you have to give Ebbsfleet credit.

“They played to the conditions on a lively pitch and Darius Charles and Leon Crooks were the best two players on the pitch. They were outstanding but they love a battle and sometimes you need a bit of guile and we lacked that.

“We both cancelled each other out really and there was very little goalmouth action. We were solid and they didn’t create anything in the first half so that’s also a great testament to our centre-halves and back four at a place like Ebbsfleet.”

Having won ten and drawn one of their previous 11 league matches, Foyle also hit out at any critics suggesting a change in personnel after the defeat.

He said: “There were a few things wrong with our performance but it’s a long time since we have lost so I can’t be too downbeat. We’ve had a great run and there hasn’t been a lot wrong.

“We’ve been well-organised but things do go against you and it’s about how you react to that. Richard Brodie will be out for three games now but we still have enough fixtures to cement our place in the play-offs and to have a go at Oxford.

“I have faith in the players. We have been third or thereabouts all season but I know we have to fight so many people.”

Foyle added that he was pleased his players will get the opportunity to bounce back quickly against fellow promotion hopefuls Luton, saying: “It’s great to have a club of Luton’s stature coming to Bootham Crescent.

“It will be a fantastic game that I am looking forward to because they are on a very good run.”

Australian former Hartlepool stopper Simon Miotto, aged 40, has joined the club as a goalkeeper coach and has also been registered as a player.