Stoke fail with Walters appeal

London - Stoke City have lost an appeal against the red card shown to forward Jonathan Walters during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Norwich City, the Football Association announced on Tuesday.

Having just equalised from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute of the Premier League encounter at Carrow Road, Walters was shown a straight red card following a knee-high foul on Norwich midfielder Alexander Tettey.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes claimed that the dismissal was "too harsh for the crime" and the club tabled an appeal, but an independent disciplinary commission upheld referee Andre Marriner's decision.

"Following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today (Tuesday), a claim of wrongful dismissal concerning Stoke City's Jonathan Walters was rejected," read a statement on the FA website.

"Walters was dismissed for serious foul play during the game against Norwich City on 8 March 2014. His three-match suspension will commence with immediate effect."

Republic of Ireland international Walters will now miss Stoke's league games against West Ham United, Aston Villa and Hull City.