MANSFIELD Town have asked the FA to have a look at a video clip that shows Altrincham defender James Smith appear to hit Stags striker Jake Speight off the ball during Saturday's 3-0 home FA Cup victory.
It continues the bitterness between the clubs which saw two Alty players sent off three weeks ago in the BSP clash and another near the end of Saturday's convincing Stags win which booked them a First Round tie at BSP strugglers Forest Green Rovers on Saturday week.
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here to see the video clip.
The video clip was shown to senior referees administrator Peter Elsworth who has agreed it should be seen by the FA disciplinary department.
Chairman Andy Perry said: "We do not want to make a song and dance of it but we are supporting our player which is the correct and professional thing to do.
"This sort of thing has no place in football and we don't want it happening again.
"I was shocked to see it on the video. We knew Jake wasn't the sort of player to feign injury. Having seen what happened I was suprised how he recovered and carried on again.
"It looked horrendous on the clip and it was pre-meditated challenge too."
Boss David Holdsworth added: "I don't want to make too much of the incident though I will always stand up for my players and this football club.
"Things have been brought to light by a video clip and the chairman has now got involved. I have left it down to him. The incident being on a web site has seen it gain momentum. Now you can view incidents like that through technology.
"I did ask the fourth official if he had seen anything at the time but I didn't put him under severe pressure like happened to a fourth official in a game we were involved in recently. But he just said he could barely see anything beacuse of the sun.
"I do not condone it, having been on the receiving end of a few and dished out a few tackles too in the past. It is a physical game.
"The hardest part is that I do like James Smith and what he seemed to do was uncharacteristic but maybe part of the emotion of the day.
"I though he was one of their best players but the incident was a poor one on his behalf.
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"But I have seen much worse and, to be fair, Jake dusted himself down and got on with it."
