Tadcaster Albion have been kicked out of the Northern Counties East League cup on a player eligibility technicality.

The Brewers were due to take on Selby Town in the third round on Tuesday but have been replaced by second round losers Gedling Town after being disqualified from the competition.

Tadcaster beat Gedling 3-0 in a second round replay on November 23, ten days after drawing 1-1 at home to book a mouth-watering derby clash against Selby Town.

In between the two matches, Mark Brady signed from Ossett Albion and made his debut off the bench at Garforth Town on November 20.

But an oversight of league cup rules which state all players taking part in replays must have been eligible for the original tie has seen Albion booted out - and an appeal to the league has been thrown out.

Taddy boss Jim Collis said: "Before the Garforth game, our secretary Howard Clarke phoned a secretary at the league to ask him if Mark Brady was eligible to play for Tadcaster.

"The league secretary said he was all clear but did not say he was ineligible for the cup game against Gedling.

"We appealed against it but the rules clearly state you have to have signed previous to the first tie and there's no changing them.

"Howard is gutted about it and has held his hands up but in some ways he's been misled."

Collis added: "We would not have played him if we'd known. If we wanted to cheat - which we wouldn't -- we would have put somebody else's name down.

"I'm upset about it because we went all that way and it cost a lot of money in travelling. We were looking forward to playing Selby, but it's one of those things. We're not going to start moaning and groaning, it's a mishap."

Selby's premier division title rivals Harrogate Railway, Goole and Pickering will also be in action in the cup next Tuesday.

Railway travel to Carlton Town, Goole are at Glasshoughton and Pickering entertain Sheffield.

Meanwhile, former Chesterfield, Grimsby and Bradford City manager Nicky Law has been appointed boss at Buxton. His assistant will be the former York City goalkeeper Chris Marples.

They have taken over from Ronnie Wright and director of football Kenny Johnson, who quit in early December.

Law was meeting his players for the first time last night ahead of today's trip to Armthorpe.

His first game in charge at Silverlands will be a League Cup tie against Long Eaton United next Wednesday.

Northern Counties East League Cup, third round: Arnold v Eccleshill, Carlton Town v Harrogate Railway, Glasshoughton v Goole, Pickering Town v Sheffield, Selby Town v Gedling Town, Thackley v Mickleover Sports, Buxton v Long Eaton United, Glapwell v Hallam.

Updated: 10:52 Saturday, January 08, 2005