Hull striker Boyd to serve three-match ban for spitting at Hart

Hull forward George Boyd will serve a three-match suspension after the Football Association rejected his appeal against a charge of spitting at Manchester City's Joe Hart.

The incident with the England goalkeeper, which was not seen by the match officials but showed up on television replays, occurred in the second half of Saturday's match at the KC Stadium, which the visitors won 2-0.

Boyd had denied a misconduct charge brought by the FA on Tuesday and mounted an appeal, but that was thrown out at an independent regulatory commission hearing on Thursday.

An FA statement confirmed: "Hull City's George Boyd will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect after an FA charge for spitting was found proven."

The suspension rules Boyd out of the Tigers' forthcoming Barclays Premier League games against West Brom, West Ham and Stoke.