Kilmarnock have failed in their bid to overturn Kyle Vassell’s red card in last weekend’s 2-0 defeat by Hibernian.
The Rugby Park side lodged an appeal with the Scottish Football Association after their striker was sent off for serious foul play in the 68th minute of Saturday’s match at Easter Road.
However, it emerged on Wednesday that Kilmarnock’s claim had been dismissed meaning Vassell would now be suspended for the upcoming games against Motherwell and Rangers.
The Englishman was initially booked by referee John Beaton after catching Marijan Cabraja in the face with a high foot.
VAR then asked Beaton to review the incident on the pitchside monitor and the official decided to upgrade the challenge to a straight red.
Manager Derek McInnes was furious with the decision to send his attacker off, insisting afterwards that the challenge barely merited a booking.
“The game’s gone mad,” he said in his post-match press conference on Saturday. “That’s not a red card. I’m sick to death of this VAR. It was our turn this week, there will likely be someone else in Scotland today who has suffered as well.
“An experienced referee dealt with the incident. Yet it goes all the way to them and they put pressure on him to look at it differently. It’s not a red card.
“You can sense the anger and frustration from everybody from a Kilmarnock point of view. But I think there was real surprise and shock from a Hibs perspective.
“There was no running around from players going to the referee looking for a red card. You know a red-card offence. You can sniff it at the game. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
