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Falkirk have decided not to appeal against the length of Kevin O’Hara’s eight-game ban for abusing Dean Shiels – leaving the striker out of football until January.
The 19-year-old was found guilty of ‘excessive misconduct’ by the Scottish FA after taunting Dunfermline forward Shiels over his missing eye during the Bairns’ Irn Bru Cup victory last month.
The Falkirk board pored over the SFA’s written reasons for handing out the suspension but have opted against contesting the severity of the punishment.
O’Hara will now be sidelined until Falkirk travel to Dunfermline on January 2, with the teenager also ineligible to feature in Development League games.
Speaking last week about O’Hara’s ban, Bairns manager Hartley said: “He is a young man coming into the game, he did make a mistake but it’s a long time to be out of football, with no football whatsoever.
“We think it’s a severe ban. He’s not a bad lad. Anybody that knows him, he is a good boy.“Something happened that he regrets and we have to make sure he is okay mentally.”
Falkirk midfielder Joe McKee was also charged with the same offence by the SFA for alleged comments made to Shiels during the cup tie, but his case has been adjourned until December 5 following last Thursday’s initial hearing.
