THE SFA this afternoon cleared Inverness Caley Thistle defender Josh Meekings to play in the Scottish Cup final.

Meeking had appealed against the one-match ban offered to him for handling a net-bound shot in their 3-2 semi-final victory over Celtic.

The SFA upheld the defender’s appeal at a meeting at Hampden, leaving Meekings free to play in the final against Falkirk next month.

Inverness Caley Thistle chairman Kenny Cameron said: “The club is delighted for Josh that the Judicial Panel Tribunal dismissed the complaint brought against him. Josh will now be available for selection for the Cup Final.

“The result means that the club can now fully appreciate the achievement of reaching its first ever Scottish Cup Final and focus on preparations for Saturday’s game against Aberdeen.

“On a personal note, both Josh and I would like to express our gratitude to our legal team from Harper Macleod led by Partner David Kerr who worked tirelessly to ensure a favourable outcome.”

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