Steve Cotterill has confirmed that Bristol City will appeal Wade Elliott's red card from this afternoon's 1-0 defeat to Swindon Town at the County Ground.

Elliott was dismissed as early as the third minute for an off-the-ball incident involving Jack Stephens.

"We'll appeal the red card," Cotterill told the club's official website. "I've looked at it four times. It's our free kick if anything. Their lad dragged at Wade and went down."

Michael Smith struck the only goal of the game on 78 minutes after Bristol had dug deep hoping to preserve a 16-game unbeaten run in League One.

Cotterill's side remain top of the table, but only by four points as Swindon moved second.