Irvinestown Wanderers player Ben Thompson has received an 18-game ban following the abandonment of the Irvinestown Wanderers v Beragh Swifts game on Saturday at the Bawnacre Centre.

Thompson received a red card in the second half and the game was subsequently abandoned by referee David Hamilton.

In his IFA misconduct report, Hamilton said: "After dismissing Ben Thompson for striking an opponent in the 60th minute, on dismissal Ben Thompson pushed me in the back. I immediately abandoned the game as instructed by protocol and went home."

The player has been hit with a 15-game suspension on top of the three-game automatic suspension.

Irvinestown Wanderers though dispute the facts of the incident that lead to the abandonment of the game and say that Thompson was not even on the pitch when the game was abandoned.

Thompson was red carded with Beragh leading 2-0.

Irvinestown say that they have no issue with the red card or Beragh being awarded the points given that the Swifts were 2-0 up when the game was abandoned.

However, they do have an issue with Hamilton’s reason for abandoning the game and they say that they will appeal the 15-game suspension handed down to their player.

“We will contest what the referee has said about the incidents that occurred after the red card was issued,” said Irvinestown in a club statement.

Giving their version of events, Irvinestown Wanderers said: “On the 64th minute an Irvinestown player was fouled and he [the referee] proceeded to play an ‘advantage’ that resulted in a Beragh player getting fouled and there was an altercation between Ben Thompson and the Beragh player.

“A host of players from both sides became involved and in the middle of this confrontation, the referee issued Ben Thompson a red card. At this point there was at least 20 people in a group, which included the referee, on the pitch arguing because he then awarded Irvinestown the original free kick.”

However, Irvinestown maintain that Thompson was no longer on the pitch when the decision came to abandon the game.

“Ben Thompson had left the pitch and was on the side-line discussing who to give his jersey to. This was seven minutes after his dismissal. The large group on the playing field had still not dispersed and at this point the referee stated ‘I have had enough of this’ and proceeded to walk off the field. He was asked on two further occasions why he was leaving and again he said he had had enough.”

Irvinestown are not refuting that referee may have been pushed during the confrontation, but they are adamant that it was not by the player named.

“His decision to abandon the game had nothing to do with the red card issued to Ben Thompson.

He may have well been jostled/pushed in the course of the confrontation on the field as he tried to restore calm, but it was not by the player named,” said the club statement.