OXFORD City wing back Terry Morrisey is at the centre of a transfer wrangle with local rivals Witney Town.

Witney put in a seven-day approach for the defender a month ago which he turned down.

However, he has since fallen out of favour at Court Place Farm, and Witney put in a further seven-day approach - without realising that it contravenes FA regulations.

These state that a club can only put one seven-day approach in for the same player at any one club in the same season.

Now City, who have also received a seven-day approach for Morrisey from Clanfield, have referred the case to the FA.

City chairman Mick Woodley said: "We will let the FA sort the whole thing out. My understanding is that you are not allowed to play for a club if that club illegally approaches you during the season."

Witney manager Andy Lyne admitted that they had made a genuine mistake in submitting two seven-day approaches for Morrisey - and felt City could be more helpful especially as Town didn't stand in the way of Shaun Wimble moving to Court Place Farm in the summer.

"We thought you couldn't make two approaches for the same player within 28 days," he said. "We didn't realise that you couldn't make two in the same season.

"We hold our hands up and acknowledge we have done wrong, but what we were hoping was that because the player stressed he wanted to get away and he was not under contract, that Oxford City would see fit to let him go and join us."

City manager Paul Lee added: "I wanted him to stay, but he was adamant that he wants to leave and obviously I don't want to keep a player at the club who doesn't want to be there."

Meanwhile, City centre back Richard Peirson is rated very doubtful for tonight's Ryman League Cup third-round tie at Division 1 rivals Wealdstone due to a hamstring strain.

Striker Dwaine Strong is serving a one-match ban for an accumulation of bookings, while Stewart McCleary completes his three-match suspension. Nigel Emsden comes into the squad.

Tonight's winners will be away to Croydon.

Oxford City: from Foster, Smart, Smith, Hayward, Dark, Whitehead, Sweeney, Rose, Wimble, Hulbert, Davy, Lee, Potter, Emsden.

Story date: Tuesday 14 December

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