WORCESTER City manager Carl Heeley has refuted allegations that goalkeeper Nathan Vaughan tried to bite Lowestoft Town midfielder Rossi Jarvis.

Both Vaughan and Jarvis were sent off after grappling with each other in the aftermath of Lowestoft’s injury-time equaliser in Saturday’s 1-1 Conference North draw in Suffolk.

Trawlerboys joint boss Ady Gallagher said Jarvis claimed Vaughan tried to “bite his face” during the incident, which saw players from both sides wade in.

But Heeley says that remark is unfounded and is standing by his keeper, who now faces a three-match suspension.

The Worcester boss said: “Their player has alleged he’s tried to bite him and Nathan says he hasn’t done anything of the sort. He says he hasn’t tried to bite him. If he says he hasn’t done it then I believe him.”

Vaughan was making his first appearance following more than two months out injured after Ryan Boot was recalled from his loan by Port Vale.

The former Kidderminster Harriers keeper is available for tonight’s match against relegation-threatened Brackley Town at Aggborough (7.45pm) as his ban is not due to start until Saturday, April 18.

That would rule him out of the trip to Bradford Park Avenue, the Worcestershire FA Senior Cup final against Harriers three days later and the last game of the season at home to Colwyn Bay on Saturday, April 25.

“It’s frustrating when you get players suspended and we have had a few this season,” Heeley said. “But it’s not as if we haven’t got another keeper, we have got a perfectly capable keeper in Jose Veiga and I am glad he will get some games for us because he’s been brilliant this season.”

Top-scorer Sean Geddes is set to return tonight after sitting out the Lowestoft match through suspension and defender Shabir Khan is also available again following his six-game ban.

Midfielder Dean Waldron could come into the reckoning following a hamstring problem but on-loan left-back Jonathan Lynch has been sidelined by a back injury sustained in training with parent club Southport.

City are looking for their first win in five games and first at Aggborough since beating Gainsborough Trinity 2-0 on March 7.

n Kidderminster Harriers were beaten 3-0 by Bristol Rovers at Aggborough, while Evesham United were 5-2 home winners against Wantage Town.