Motherwell’s Callum Slattery has been issued a four-game ban for simulation that resulted in a red card for St Mirren defender Richard King.

King was sent off by referee Calum Scott after swinging his hand in the direction of Slattery while being held by the Motherwell midfielder during a 5-0 loss last month.

There appeared to be minimal contact before Slattery went down holding his face. VAR did not intervene to overturn the decision.

An appeal was upheld at a Scottish Football Association fast-track tribunal hearing in February and King’s red card was rescinded.

Slattery has now been handed a retrospective four-game ban, two of which are suspended, after he was cited by the Scottish FA’s compliance officer on Thursday.

Motherwell have hit out at the ban, claiming it is the first time a player has received a retrospective match suspension for simulation.

Motherwell issued a strongly worded statement following the ban, saying “a third layer of refereeing has now been implemented”.

The club have also said that “poor quality” cameras mean there is no conclusive evidence King’s arm did not touch Slattery’s face.

A spokesperson said: “We can confirm that following a SFA hearing, Callum Slattery has been handed a four-match suspension, two of which are suspended.

“This...