Saltash United will be unable to select first choice goalkeeper Ryan Rickard for Sunday’s Cornwall Senior Cup final against Mousehole after the club’s appeal against a red card was rejected by Cornwall FA on Friday afternoon.

Rickard was sent off two minutes from the end of last Saturday’s Carlsberg South West Peninsula League premier division game against Godolphin Atlantic when he was adjudged to have handled outside the penalty area.

That meant a one-match ban from Saturday (May 12), ruling him out of Cornwall’s showpiece football final.

Saltash appealed against the red card, arguing that Rickard was taking natural defensive action when the ball was fired at him from close range.

But a Cornwall FA disciplinary panel decided the sending off should stand.

Saltash will now have to find another goalkeeper from within the club because they are not allowed to sign an emergency keeper under Senior Cup rules.

Saltash assistant manager Dane Bunney confirmed to the Cornish Times that second team goalkeeper Ash Clelland will play in the cup final.It will be his first team debut.