Liskeard Athletic joint manager Darren Gilbert has criticised Cornwall FA after the club was thrown out of the Cornwall Senior Cup on a technicality.

The Blues had been charged with fielding an ineligible player – Stuart Bowker – in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Millbrook at Jenkins Park on January 17, and their appeal was thrown out on Thursday evening.

Millbrook will now play Wendron United in the semi-final to be played in mid-March.

Liskeard secretary Lianne Williams says she will be offering her resignation at the club’s next committee meeting, on Monday, and if that is accepted, she will then resign as a board member of the South West Peninsula League.

It has emerged that Bowker’s transfer from Dartmouth on the day of the quarter-final was registered 25 minutes after the deadline because of an email glitch – but Liskeard had verbal evidence that an official of the SWPL gave them the go-ahead to play Bowker.

Gilbert said: “I am very frustrated that we have not been treated fairly by Cornwall FA. We’ve been punished for something which can happen to anyone.

“A representative of the league had given us verbal permission to play Bowks. At ten-to-seven on the night of the game we were prepared to leave him off our team sheet but we had been given permission to play him.

“Then Millbrook put in a complaint to Cornwall FA after the game and they have upheld it despite us appealing with our written evidence.

“This decision has been made by paid officials against unpaid officials, the sort of people who keep clubs like Liskeard going without being paid a penny.

“People like Lianne (Williams), our secretary, who has a full-time job and has to do her football work around that. We all have full-time jobs, we do football for the love of it.

“I’m gutted for the players and I’m gutted for Lianne because she couldn’t have done more than she did and she does not deserve any criticism whatsoever.

“Without people like us, there won’t be any clubs. You only have to look at what’s happened at Godolphin Atlantic recently.

“What the Cornwall FA has done to us doesn’t make you want to carry on.”

Gilbert was also critical of Millbrook, saying: “If Macca (Brown, the manager) wants to go into a semi-final having lost to a lower league team in the quarter-finals, that’s up to him. I know I wouldn’t want to.

“It’s beyond belief how we’ve been treated. The Cornwall FA should have replayed the game, we would have been happy with that.”

A statement from Cornwall FA said: “Following the Millbrook v Liskeard Athletic Cornwall Senior Cup tie a protest was lodged by Millbrook, as is their right, as per the rules of The Cornwall Senior Cup.

“Following an investigation it transpired that a player for Liskeard Athletic had not been registered in accordance with the rules of the competition and Liskeard Athletic were subsequently charged for fielding an ineligible player.

“Cornwall FA County Cup Rule: b. The following player eligibility Rules shall apply: i. In all rounds of this competition, a player shall be a registered member for the team competing in this competition, having registered with the league in which his team normally competes, and in accordance with their rules, prior to playing and before 31st March in the current season.

“SWP League rule relating to registrations/transfers – a player will only be eligible to play in a match organised by the company under these rules if the appropriate information is provided via the online registration system and received by the company at least four (4) hours before the scheduled kick-off time of such match.

“No Player whose registration, including Loan registrations, is received by the company less than four (4) hours before the match organised by the company in which he is required to play will be eligible. Any loan registration must also be approved by the Football Association before that Player can be considered eligible to play.

“Liskeard Athletic submitted an appeal against the charge and the case was heard by an Independent Appeal Board formed of volunteer members of The FA Regional Discipline Panel on Thursday, February 2. All of whom are experienced League and club officials. To ensure transparency and fairness none of these members were from Cornwall.

“The decision of the panel was to dismiss the appeal and remove Liskeard Athletic from the Cornwall Senior Cup.”

A spokesman for the South West Peninsula League told the Voice: “Registration and transfer of players for matches under the league’s control are governed by relevant FA standardised rules; whether a player is eligible to play in any outside cup (and there are dozens across the region) is for the governance of each individual cup competition.”

Millbrook manager Macca Brown said: “Naturally we are pleased with the outcome following the CCFA’s investigation into Liskeard fielding an ineligible player in the quarter-final of the senior cup and I’m personally pleased that the integrity of Cornwall's most prestigious cup competition has been upheld.

“I genuinely feel sorry for a number of the loyal, committed Liskeard players and supporters to be on the receiving end of the decision as they’ve been ejected from a competition due to a player who doesn’t normally represent them and that will sting, but I have no doubts the correct decision was made and speaking to some of their lads today they accept it as well.

“Dual-registration is always a hot topic in Cornish football, but it isn’t against the rules so it’s difficult to argue against. l and we didn’t after the game.

“Darren was apologetic before and after the game for bringing them in but he’s fighting for his club and I’m fighting for mine, that’s how it is.

“I’m sure he’s disappointed because bringing in Ryan Richards and Stu Bowker wouldn’t have come cheap and it’s been the deciding factor, it’s all very well criticising us but I’m usually one to look at my own actions when something has gone wrong.

“I’m never too surprised to see certain players line up against us when the opportunity arises. I think Ryan has played for Torpoint, Tavistock and now Liskeard against us in the past 12 months and fair play to him, he’s played more games at Jenkins than some of my players.

“But for once it has actually benefited us and we now look forward to the semi-final against Wendron in March.”

He added: "In my shoes Darren wouldn’t be bothered if he’s completely honest, he’s a winner and that's evident in his career, he wouldn’t care how he does it."