Thursday 11 August 2016 17:39, UK
Hearts winger Jamie Walker will serve a two-game ban after the club failed in their appeal to have the SFA's decision overturned.
The Scotland U21 international was cited by Scottish FA compliance officer Tony McGlennan for an 'act of simulation' during his side's 2-1 home defeat to Celtic last Sunday.
Walker fell to the ground under the attention of visiting full-back Kieran Tierney in the 36th minute of the match and referee John Beaton awarded a spot-kick which Walker converted to cancel out James Forrest's opener. Scott Sinclair converted the visitors' winner nine minutes from time.
On Monday, McGlennan offered Walker a two-match ban for 'pretending you were fouled by a player on the opposing team, namely Kieran Tierney, and did thereafter dive in the penalty box of the opposing team'.
Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson insisted contact had been made between the pair and announced his club's intention to contest the decision on Wednesday.
However, the appeal was dismissed at a hearing at the Scottish FA's Hampden headquarters on Thursday afternoon and Walker will now sit out the club's next two matches.
In a brief statement on their official website, Hearts said: "Heart of Midlothian Football Club is deeply disappointed with the opinion of the panel, which means Walker will now miss the upcoming Ladbrokes Premiership matches against Aberdeen and Inverness Caledonian Thistle."
