Carshalton Athletic boss Dave Garland has branded the decision to slash AFC Wimbledon's points deduction a joke.

Garland was in charge of the Robins when they were relegated from the Nationwide Conference South last season despite Canvey Island's withdrawal from the Conference.

Canvey's decision to drop into the Ryman League - coupled with Tamworth's subsequent Conference reprieve - created an extra space one level below, meaning either the Robins or Conference North side Leigh RMI would escape the drop.

FA rules stipulate that the relegated team with the best record at that level should stay in the league. However, despite finishing one point better off than Leigh, it was Garland's men who went down.

And Garland said Monday's FA ruling demonstrated how money talks in football.

He said: "It's a joke - it just shows if you have the money, you can make things happen.

"But good luck to them. It's great news for them. It just shows that it's all about money.

"We didn't have the cash to appeal and that is why we couldn't follow it through.

"It makes a mockery of the system, but that is what football is like nowadays."

On another sour note for the Robins, Garland has been forced to let forward Robert Haworth go to fellow Ryman Premier Division side Margate to keep the club in the black.

Garland said: "I have let him go for the simple reason that I have to.

"Needs are needs at this club - if you have not got the money, you have not got the money."

Saturday's 0-0 draw with Worthing was the Robins' second clean sheet in a row, and Garland has praised the impact of David Graves since his move from central midfield to the heart of defence.

"David has done really well for us of late," he said.

"He can play central midfield and centre back but, since we have moved him into the back four, he has been superb."

Remaining fixtures - Sat, March 31: Heybridge Swifts (a); Sat, April 7: Tonbridge Angels (h); Mon, April 9: Bromley (a); Sat, April 14 (h): Billericay Town (h); Sat, April 21: Harrow Borough (a); Sat, April 28: Folkestone Invicta (h).