AFC Ludlow manager Dave Cooper was left fuming after Morda could not raise a side to face them on Saturday.

Cooper said that he received a phone call at 9.45am on Saturday morning to say that eight Morda players had been struck down with a sickness bug.

“It’s a bit of a joke really, especially when their reserve side played,” said Cooper.

“A few of my players were away on Saturday, so we offered Morda the chance to play in midweek, but they said they didn’t want to.

“They could have borrowed a couple of players from their reserve side or called that fixture off rather the senior one.

“It doesn’t make sense. Me and Mike Seaborne were going to be the subs and the 11 we had out were an exceptionally good side.

“When I told them that they’re weren’t playing, they were gutted.”

High-flying Ludlow, who were hoping to lay the ghost of Morda to rest following four defeats against them last season, were due to play Ellesmere Rangers Reserves this Saturday, but their opponents have pulled out of the Mercian Premier League, so Ludlow do not have a game.

Mercian League spokesman Phil Davies confirmed that Morda will be charged for failing to fulfil a fixture and will receive a letter from the league’s general secretary.

“They will have seven days to reply and based on that we will have a meeting to decide what action to take,” he said.

“We have a standard code of rules and have to work within those boundaries.”