The Eircom League's Board of Control will decide next week whether to impose a points deduction on Derry City for playing Sean Hargan in the recent win over Bohemians. The left back was supposed to be suspended for the game as a result of reaching four penalty points.

City insist they received no notification of the ban and did not become aware of it until last week. They then dropped Hargan for the league game in Bray.

The club could be docked three points if found to have unwittingly played the defender when they shouldn't have but six if it is held that they were aware of the situation but intentionally ignored it. Club officials declined to comment yesterday.

Shamrock Rovers face a similar charge over Paul Shiels, who they signed recently unware that he had incurred a suspension while playing for Dublin City. The club looks highly likely to lose three its points next week.

The threat of Derry being docked points over Hargan comes at a time when the title contenders are waiting to see how the aftermath of Dublin City's departure from the league's Premier Division will be handled.

An appeals panel has upheld Shelbourne's challenge to the way in which the decision to expunge all of City's results from the record book was taken last month. But it will be up to the league's management committee now to decide whether to reverse the decision itself, something that would deal another three-point blow to Derry.

City officials conceded the decision would now have to be reconsidered, though the process may be delayed by a move by the league to force the appeal decision to arbitration.

There is some confidence within the Derry camp that, as the original course of action was decided upon after consultation with Uefa, it will ultimately be allowed to stand.