Gillingham are without striker Charlie Kelman for their crucial match at Portsmouth after losing their appeal over his red card.

The striker, on loan from QPR, will miss the club’s last two games of the season, at Portsmouth today (Saturday) and the visit from Rotherham United next weekend.

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Gills boss Neil Harris reviewed the footage of the red card incident from several angles and was adamant his man didn’t deserve to be sent off. He wrote to the FA defending the striker and asking them to overrule referee James Linington’s decision.

Kelman and Fleetwood’s Paddy Lane were both dismissed after both going for the same loose ball.

Lane came off worse - and went off on a stretcher - before Kelman was also dismissed by the referee but Harris felt the opposition player had been the man in the wrong.

The appeal panel at the FA disagreed.

Before the appeal ruling was announced, the Gills manager commented on the incident, saying: “It has never been a red card and I wrote the defence myself, with the club secretary Kelly, and there were four factors why it wasn’t a red. If we are overruled because they back their referee then that is down to the FA, we can’t do anything about it.

“We had to appeal because ultimately it isn’t a red card. Fleetwood, two-footed off the floor, is a red card challenge. Were we calling for their player to be sent off? No. We were calling to get on with the game, two committed players were going for the ball.”

The Gills are already short of attacking players and Kelman has been a regular starter for Harris.

The manager said: “We have failed to score goals all season, we need to score more moving forward as a football club, (but there are) factors, lack of personnel in attacking areas has been key.

“Charlie has done very well for us, in his own style and once we worked out he would be a forward runner, a channel runner, and get us up the pitch we have got the best out of him. He has scored a few vital goals for us as well. He is a big loss, as anyone would be, because we are so light in numbers.”