AFC Lordshill have hit back over claims they are a dirty side.

The City of Southampton Sunday League recently had four players sent off in a match against SAS Maybush.

As a result, they have been put under temporary suspension until all their cases have been heard.

But they have contacted the Daily Echo to say they do not deserve to be bracketed as "louts" following our story about rising indiscipline across grass-roots football in the county yesterday.

In the first few months of this season, 18 matches have been abandoned in local leagues and 16 referees assaulted.

But Lordshill boss Robert Daly said: "This club has never had a match abandoned and no player has ever assaulted a referee.

"I will be appealing against most if not all of the four sendings-off - they were for things like two bookings and for kicking the ball away, things that you see in the Premiership most weeks."