Cahill loses red card appeal

Bolton defender Gary Cahill has lost his appeal over his red card at Arsenal at Saturday.

The 24-year-old challenged his dismissal by referee Stuart Attwell for a 64th-minute challenge from behind on striker Marouane Chamakh, and his case was heard by a regulatory commission today.

An FA statement said: "At a regulatory commission hearing today, a claim for wrongful dismissal from Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill was dismissed.

"As a result, Cahill's three-match suspension will remain and will be served with immediate effect."

Cahill will miss this weekend's Barclays Premier League trip to Aston Villa and the Carling Cup tie at Burnley, as well as Manchester United's visit to the Reebok Stadium.

That will come as a blow to manager Owen Coyle, who voiced his dismay at Attwell's decision in the immediate aftermath of the game.

Wanderers were pushing for an equaliser at 2-1 when Cahill departed and eventually lost the game 4-1.

Coyle said: "I don't think it merited a red. All of a sudden we were playing Arsenal with 10 men, and it is difficult at the best of times with 11.

"We had put so much into the game that at that time we looked like the team who would get the equaliser."

Cahill and Coyle can at least console themselves with the fact that the commission did not view their appeal as frivolous, a finding which would have seen the player's ban extended to four games.