BROMSGROVE Sporting boss Keith Draper admitted he was disappointed the club have been deducted three points by the Football Association after losing an appeal.

The Rouslers have been punished after their home clash against Brocton on August 10 was called off the day before because of floodlight failure.

The deduction and large fine incurred, worth several hundred pounds, had been delayed because Sporting launched an appeal.

But Sporting trio Paul Wilkes, Geoff Bayley and Graham Scott attended a hearing at the FA’s headquarters at Wembley Stadium on Monday and were unsuccessful in their attempt.

The club had been testing the club’s facilities ahead of the Brocton clash, their first home game in the Midland Combination Premier, but the lights blew after a power surge.

Sporting immediately informed the league they would be unable to fulfil their fixture for the mid-week clash and spent £4,000 to repair lights and a severely damaged fuse box.

Draper said: “I feel sorry for the fans and the players, who have put so much hard work in this season.

“It was the right decision to appeal the deduction and I am disappointed it didn’t go our way.

“By the letter of the law we breeched the rules but we were in a position where it would not have been possible or safe to put the game on.”

The deduction leaves Sporting on 33 points and sees them slip to fourth in the table, trailing in the title chase behind Walsall Wood, Littleton and Atherstone.

But Draper was defiant: “It’s only December and there is a lot of games to do.

“We’ve had a setback with the deduction but there will be a lot of ups and downs yet.

“All we can do is keep picking up wins and see what happens.”

Sporting will be aiming bounce back from their away loss at Lichfield when they go to second from bottom Castle Vale JKS on Saturday (3pm ko).