Coventry City Ladies: WSL hopefuls deducted six points

Sheffield FC and Coventry City both won their respective divisions last season, when promotion was not possible

Women's Super League promotion hopefuls Coventry City have been deducted six points for fielding ineligible players.

The Sky Blues played Emma Hollingsworth and Carly Davies - both registered as WSL players - in wins over Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest last month.

Only one WSL player can take the field for a Premier League club at a time.

Coventry are now six points adrift of Northern Division leaders Sheffield FC with two games remaining, with the winners progressing to a play-off.

WPL's Northern and Southern Divisions title winners meet on Sunday, 24 May with the victor of that game promoted to WSL 2.

The FA Women's Premier League management committee have applied to the Football Association's chairman of the appeal board to try allow Coventry to appeal the decision before the play-off.

The Sky Blues, who beat Sporting Albion 1-0 on Thursday to retain the County Cup, have lost just two league matches this season, both against Sheffield.

In a statement the club said they were "extremely disappointed with this decision, particularly as we have never intentionally or knowingly broken any rules."