Somerset Trojans coach Dennis Brown is up in arms over an additional five-match suspension handed to his striker, Stephen Astwood, by Bermuda Football Association (BFA) for an incident that occurred at White Hill Field on October 3.

Astwood, who broke ranks at PHC Zebras at the end of last season, had been sent off along with Somerset Eagles? defender Kirk Simons for fighting during this season-opening league derby between the two West End clubs.

Both players received an automatic one-match ban, which they served, but were then summoned before the BFA?s disciplinary committee last week.

It was then that Astwood, who appeared before the committee, was slapped with an additional suspension, according to a senior BFA executive who spoke to on condition of anonymity.

Simons, however, failed to turn up and his fate is unknown.

It is now understood Somerset have appealed against the ban with coach Brown maintaining his player has been treated unfairly.

?I don?t even think Stephen (Astwood) should have been asked to appear before the disciplinary hearing. He served his one-match suspension and what he did did not warrant being summoned before any disciplinary committee,? Brown argued.

?He (Astwood) received his red card and walked off the pitch. He understood what he did was not in the better interests of the team and he was even fined personally by me for being sent off. But to have this matter brought up again weeks later . . . I just don?t see any justification in them (BFA) doing that. I just don?t see any justification in the association taking this incident this far.?

Brown said Astwood had been summoned to appear before a BFA disciplinary committee some two weeks after serving out an automatic one-game ban.

?This incident happened on October 3 but Somerset did not get a letter summoning Stephen to appear before a hearing until October 21 . . . and that is pathetic,? said Brown. ?He served his one-match suspension and was allowed to come back.

?If his crime was that severe then he should have been brought up for additional charges before being allowed to play in a match. I feel that it?s totally pathetic the way they (BFA) handled that situation and as far as I know Somerset Cricket Club have appealed.?

After both players had received their marching orders from referee George O?Brien, Simons then had to be restrained by team-mates, several bystanders and BFA president Larry Mussenden as he tried to attack Astwood as the Trojans striker made his way towards the dressing room, according to Brown?s account of the October 3 incident.

?Stephen received his red card and came directly off the pitch while the other player (Simons) had to be restrained by his team-mates and the BFA president (Mussenden) who he called every name under the sun,? said Brown.

?And every player who was on my bench, including my wife, felt this player (Simons) was completely out of order for calling the BFA president every name under the sun.?

However, when contacted yesterday, Mussenden denied claims he had been verbally abused by Simons at the match.

?For the record I don?t recall any individual directing anything at me,? he told . ?Nothing that afternoon was directed at me and no player verbally abused me at all.?

Astwood, meanwhile, sat out Trojans? 3-0 away loss to Dandy Town on October 10 and returned from suspension on October 17 to score two goals against Southampton Rangers at Somerset Cricket Club.

The lanky frontman, who underwent trials at Grimsby Town in the UK earlier this summer, also sat out Trojans? 4-0 drubbing against North Village last weekend.