Derry City are pursuing "all options available" in retaliation to the FAI appeal board's controversial decision to order a replay of a Bohemians-Shelbourne league match.
Shelbourne had sought the three points Bohemians were deducted after the Phibsboro club fielded a suspended player during a league match between the sides in August.
Bohemians won that game 2-1 but were subsequently docked three points for fielding defender Jason McGuinness, who was suspended.
The FAI's three-man appeal board committee yesterday ordered the match to be replayed at Dalymount Park "as a matter or urgency" and "in the interests of fair play".
The decision has infuriated Derry - Shelbourne's closest rivals in the title race - who are "dismayed" with the ruling and now intend pursuing the matter as far as possible.
The league campaign is due to finish on Friday week and currently Shelbourne sit top, three points clear of Derry who, because of the ruling, now don't have the benefit of their one game in hand.
Derry City are tonight working closely with its legal advisors, club chairman Jim Roddy confirmed.
It is now anticipated Derry will contest the appeal board's ruling which could yet prove the difference between the club winning the league and finishing runners-up.
A club statement read: "The Board of Directors of Derry City Football Club note with great dismay the decision of the Appeal Board of the FAI of 31st October 2006.
"We wish to reassure all supporters and fans of the club in Derry and elsewhere that we intend, as a board, to protect, robustly and resolutely, the interests of our club.
"To that end we are working closely with our legal advisers and we intend to pursue all options available to us.
"In the meantime we ask all our supporters to continue to get behind the manager and team in this difficult time as none of us want this unnecessary distraction to have any adverse effect on the field of play."
Tomorrow's eircom League Board of Control meeting called by chairman Paddy McCaul to discuss the controversial rescheduling of the fixture has now been postponed until Saturday.
This switch is to facilitate the availability of the nine (no longer 10) board members, some of whom could not attend tomorrow afternoon due to club commitments.
