Falmouth Town manager Alan Carey has sensationally quit the Bickland Park club following a row with the Cornwall County FA.

Falmouth, who beat Saltash United convincingly on Saturday to make it through to the semi-finals of the Cornwall Senior Cup, were thrown out of the competition yesterday morning (Tuesday) for fielding an ineligible player. Hours after the CCFA’s decision, Carey had resigned.

The ineligible player was Jamie Mudge. A forward Carey signed three days before the game with Saltash. He had joined from Bideford to play for Falmouth for the rest of the season and came on as a second half substitute in the quarter-final tie, when Town were leading 3-0.

However, CCFA’s rule 16 states that a player must have played in at least one recognised league or cup fixture, for his club, to be eligible to play in a Senior Cup match.

It is to stop higher league players being used as ‘ringers’ in for one-off games. However, Carey was left fuming by the decision. Stating that Mudge was not a ringer as he had been chasing his signature for weeks and had brought him in to bolster his squad for the rest of the season.

“What they are saying is that a player can’t make his debut in a Cornwall Senior Cup match. What kind of ridiculous rule is that. It is antiquated and archaic a bit like them (the CCFA),” said Carey.

“I’m so disappointed for the supporters, the players and everyone at Falmouth Town. I really wanted to lead that club into the Cornwall Senior Cup final this season and it has left a bitter taste."

Carey leaves Falmouth third place in the CSWPL premier division, two points behind leaders Launceston.

He took over in January 2009 with the club struggling at the wrong end of the table.