MARK DENNIS has blasted the Football Association for banning David Prutton for virtually the rest of the season.

The former Saints hardman reckons Prutton, who has been handed a massive ten-match ban and £6,000 fine, deserved no more than a four-game ban - on top of the automatic one-match suspension for his sending off against Arsenal.

Prutton is set to miss virtually the rest of the season after pushing referee Alan Wiley in a bid to confront linesman Paul Norman during the 1-1 draw at St Mary's last weekend.

Dennis said: "What David did was completely out of character, he's very intelligent, but it was a case of the red mist coming down.

"His first tackle was poor and he got away with it, but he gave the referee no option but to send him off with the second.

"As for his reaction, I thought someone had said something about his missus the first time I saw it!

"His eyes glazed over so you have to believe what he said about not knowing that it was the referee he was pushing. It could have been anyone.

"But it wasn't as bad as Paolo Di Canio a few years ago and I didn't think he deserved anything more than a five-game ban.

"Missing games will hurt him much more than the £6,000 fine, but it is harsh to ban him for the rest of the season.

"It makes me question how much the people at the FA know about football.

"When I was up before the FA fuddy duddies as a player it was like looking at the Muppet Show - I couldn't believe how little they knew about the game.

"And if it was a foreign player I'm sure they would only be looking at a two-game ban.

"Everyone makes mistakes but the main thing is that you learn from them, and getting a ban like this could have a bad effect on David psychologically.

"But he did well to apologise afterwards.

"I regret not talking to the media enough as a player and David came across well.

"He showed that he's an intelligent guy, and that he was truly embarrassed and sorry."

Prutton's ten-game ban effectively rules him out for the rest of the season, but a second FA Cup final in three years for Saints could see him come back into contention for the last two games.

At present he is available for just the last league game of the season - at home to Manchester United - because of Saints' FA Cup tie against the holders at St Mary's next weekend.

Dennis added: "Harry has lost an extremely good player and that could easily disrupt the shape and the balance of the side.

"I like David as a player, he gets his foot in, but just needs to channel it right."