Dundee have rejected allegations they are exploiting a loophole in the rules to play trialists from the junior ranks while banned from signing new players.Jake Hyde scored the equaliser against Dunfermline on Tuesday having just signed for Lochee United.
Dundee chief executive Harry MacLean told BBC Scotland: "It is quite simple.
"You can play two trialists in any game and they can play a maximum of three and, if it comes from the juniors, it comes from the juniors."
Dunfermline manager Jim McIntyre was unwilling to criticise his side's Division One opponents, while Scottish Football League sources stress that Dundee have done nothing wrong according to the rules.
But some at the Fife club are thought to be unhappy after 20-year-old striker Hyde's goal denied them a victory that would have taken the Pars above leaders Raith Rovers on goal difference at the top of the table.
Hyde, who started his career with Swindon Town and had a spell with Barnet before being released by Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United, has been in the city for five weeks but only just received international clearance to sign for Lochee.
We are struggling to put a team out and the manager has to do what he can
Dundee chief executive Harry MacLean
Dundee, who are not allowed to sign new players while they remain in administration, have also fielded defender Craig Robertson as a trialist from the East Superleague outfit during their 22-game unbeaten run.
"I don't think it is sudden," said MacLean about Hyde's appearance after joining Lochee while pointing out that trialists must be registered in Scotland as cross-border moves are not permitted.
"I don't know particularly Jake's background.
"Obviously, he is a signed Lochee United player, but if their manager Paul Ritchie wants to use him in the future, I am sure he will.
"The situation is that he is a junior player and his registration is held in Scotland and what we need then is a letter from his junior club to say he can play for us.
"We are not going to gain any massive advantage out of that because Jake, as far as I am aware, didn't have a club for a period of months and the lad's trying to get a career on track and how he does that is his business.
"But we are struggling to put a team out and the manager has to do what he can."
A 25-point penalty means Dundee are eight points clear of the relegation play-off spot instead of leading Division One by five and the use of trialists will not be permitted for any club beyond the end of March.
And MacLean suggested that Dundee's use of trialists - retired former Scotland winger Neil McCann and ex-Dunfermline striker Graham Bayne have also guested - was to the benefit of the other Division One clubs.
"One of the major things we were punished for was bringing the integrity of the league into question and I would suggest that, if we played what we would call a first 11 in some games and weren't able to do that in others, that would affect things like promotion slots, relegation and different positions in the league," he said.
"We've played Falkirk and Dunfermline in the last couple games and we've managed to put out a good team and get a performance.
"In a couple of weeks time, we will not be able to play trialists and will play Raith Rovers and so if you kick in with injuries and suspensions, we may well be playing a team that looks considerably weaker on paper.
"How would Dunfermline feel about that? They are probably not very excited.
"The thing now for us is that we are trying to avoid relegation, but we've also got a duty to the others teams to put out as best a team we can possibly do.
"If that means playing trialists, it means playing trialists, we make no apology for that."
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport