Wiltshire Senior Cup: Devizes face expulsion from the Wiltshire Senior Cup after fielding two ineligible players in their quarter-final victory over Trowbridge on March 15.

The Screwfix Direct Premier Division outfit scraped into the last four at the expense of their Wiltshire League rivals thanks to a Justin Lisle goal, but the Wiltshire FA are investigating claims that two members of the hosts' line-up were not signed by the competition's deadline.

The quarter-final clash was originally due to be staged on February 19, but was postponed as the players prepared for the kick off after the referee became concerned about the frozen playing surface.

Only those players signed on at the time of the original game were eligible to play in the re-arranged match, but new signings Gerry Pearson and Richard Clarke were included in the Devizes line-up.

Manager Pete Tripp and secretary Roy King were unaware of the ruling. Devizes were given seven days to explain in a letter from the Wiltshire FA last Thursday.

King is hoping officials will grant his club a stay of execution. He said: "We'll just prove to them that it was an oversight rather than a deliberate act. We have had trouble club-wise and we thought, because it was a re-arranged fixture, that that rule didn't apply.

"Technically we are wrong, but we would be very disappointed with the Wiltshire FA if we get penalised for it after the troubles we have had at this club.

"I can't see the big deal they are making out of this one. With the run we were having in the Vase this was a re-arranged fixture twice. We didn't think we had broken any laws. Pearson wasn't good enough anyway and Clarke has been signed on for a month. I was as astounded as anyone else when I heard."

Should the Wiltshire FA decide to exclude Devizes from the competition, Trowbridge would take their place in the last four and face Calne Town at The Conigre, Melksham next week.

The Wiltshire FA were alerted following a complaint from a Trowbridge official.

Wiltshire FA secretary Mike Benson said: "We have received a protest.

"The club have been written to and we'll hold a commission of inquiry into what has gone on when we receive a reply."