GREAT Harwood Town have been rocked by a four-point penalty for fielding an ineligible player earlier this season.

And that leaves the Division One strugglers further in the relegation mire following the controversial ruling, which dates back to a clerical oversight last August when Elliott Smith played in the 1-1 home draw with Alsager Town.

The 16-year-old's registration form, which should have been sent to league chiefs, was mislaid in a batch of 10 others.

But when the form was discovered, the Robins owned up straight away, despite the North West Counties League not picking up on the error.

Now, after the League's penalty against the club was upheld by the FA at an appeal, the Showground side have been hit with a three-point deduction, a £100 fine and they also lose the point they picked up during the game itself.

Chairman Bill Holden said: "At the start of the season, when John Hughes left to go to Chorley, the secretary signed 10 lads on one night before training.

"The forms were given to the new manager, Dave Bradford, who made a check on them for his own personal records before sending them to the league in a batch.

"But a fortnight after Alsager game on August 26, when Elliott Smith played, Dave informed us he had found his form in the back of his car which had dropped out of his briefcase.

"Our secretary informed the league straight away. We didn't try to deceive anybody. We played the lad in good faith thinking he was signed.

"I can see the league's point of view but I expected a little bit more leniency because it was an accident on our part. We wouldn't have played the lad if we had known."

Dave Sharples, who has since taken over from Bradford as manager, said: "If we were in a hole before, it's a trench now!"

Great Harwood are now eight-points adrift second-bottom side Formby.