WINCHESTER City's Ian Mancey has been clobbered with a seven-match suspension after admitting a charge of threatening behaviour towards the referee at Bashley on New Year's Day.

The 35-year-old targetman stunned a 302-strong crowd at the Bashley Road when he raised a fist towards referee Tim Ingram after being shown a second yellow card for arguing a penalty decision given against teammate Lloyd Webber.

Mancey was given a one-man match ban for the two cautions which, due to weather delays, he must serve tomorrow when Lymington & New Milton visit the Denplan City Ground. The accompanying seven-match punishment kicks in on February 5.

In addition, he has been fined £100 by the Football Assocation - but it remains to be seen if his punishment ends there.

Team manager Steve Moss has confirmed that he is due to meet with the Winchester committee to see if the club will take any further action.

"You can't condone raising a fist to any official. It doesn't set a very good example to young players," Moss confessed.

"But the other side of it is that Winchester City wouldn't be where they are today without Ian Mancey and we owe him a lot for what he's done for this club and we all want him here.

"Whether we will impose a fine ourselves, I don't know, but we've got to make up our minds what we're going to do. I suppose it depends what your moral stance is.

"Everyone at the club thinks the seven-match ban is fairly lenient. We all thought he might be suspended for the whole of the season and maybe a bit more. He's got away lightly."

Over the years Mancey has not had the best of disciplinary records, but Moss said: "Away from football, he's the nicest, loveliest man you could meet. But as soon as he leaves the dressing room, he's so intense, it's incredible. But that's what makes him the competitor he is."

See today's Daily Echo for a full preview of the non-league action.