CRESTFALLEN Bradford on Avon head coach Dave George has vowed his side will fight “tooth and nail’’ for the rest of the season after a paperwork error may have cost them the chance of promotion.

The Ashley Lane side have been deducted five points after it was discovered that player Alex Burns had not been registered correctly to play in their Dorset & Wilts One North campaign.

The penalty dropped Bradford further behind division leaders Corsham, who are 15 points in front of them, while a 14-14 draw with Chippenham 2nd last Saturday left them 11 points adrift of second-placed Warminster.

George revealed that although the paperwork for Burns had been completed, it had not been lodged with the league administrators, with the points deduction kicking in at the start of this week.

The news is a devastating blow to Bradford’s hopes of returning to Southern Counties South, which they slipped out of at the end of last season after finishing 11th, with Corsham currently unbeaten and Warminster losing only to the leaders last weekend.

George insists there is little his players can do except roll up their sleeves and try to finish as high as possible in the remaining 12 matches of the campaign.

“It’s a tough one to take because Alex has been with us for two years, but it’s a simple mistake,’’ he said.

“The league simply didn’t get the form and it’s cost us five points.

“We’re obviously pretty down about it and in 13 years I’ve never had it happen at all but there is nothing more that can be done about it.’’

He added: “It’s probably cost us the chance of promotion and it’s really set us back, but we’ll fight tooth and nail for every game between now and the end of the season.

“We play against Corsham on Saturday and the lads are bang up for that one.’’