Byrne critical of Delaney's remarks

Shelbourne chief executive Ollie Byrne has criticised John Delaney over remarks made at the weekend's FAI's agm where the association's leading official expressed the hope that all clubs affected by the decision to expunge Dublin City's results from the records would accept the decision as being in the best interests of the game.

The Dublin club and Cork City, both of whom took six points from their two meetings with the now departed club, lost ground relative to title rivals Drogheda United and Derry City, who had taken four and three points respectively from their games against Dermot Keely's side.

Shelbourne, and at least one other club, Longford Town, have appealed the decision to handle Dublin City's departure in this way.

Delaney appealed to those who felt hard done by in the aftermath of the decision to get on with things. "I really feel there is enough time left in the season for whoever is going to win the eircom League to win it on the field," said the FAI CEO.

"That's why the games are played and that's where it should be left." But Byrne contests the view that his club should merely accept what has been decided, arguing that in this case the games were indeed played and that his side won them while two of their rivals failed to take maximum points.

"We've done nothing wrong," he says, "we won the games fairly but now, because another club has gone out of business we are effectively being punished.

The FAI's domestic committee decided yesterday that Killester United will be handed a place in the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup as a result of the Dublin City's withdrawal.

Byrne claims this reinforces his case as the decision to uphold City's second round win over Monaghan United rather than to reinstate Mick Cooke's side contradicts the stand taken in relation to the league results. However, league officials argued last night that in the cup the decisive factor is a team's ability to contest a game on a given day whereas there are foreign precedents for the action taken in relation to Dublin City's resignation from the league.

Cork City will hear this morning whether their submissions in relation to the red cards shown to Danny Murphy and Joe Gamble in Cyprus last week have had any effect on the punishments handed down to the pair by Uefa.

Both players were cited by the Swedish referee for their part in a scuffle at the end of their Champions League qualifier against Apollon Limassol and while Damien Richardson concedes that the pair are unlikely to be exonerated, he remains hopeful that they will be banned for just the first leg of the second round encounter with Red Star Belgrade.

"The referee didn't inform anyone of what he'd done and we're still holding out some hope that because he didn't follow the proper procedures that the red cards will be unenforceable," says Richardson, "but ultimately I'd be happy at this stage if the players are available for the second leg there next week.

"I was on the scene very quickly over there and I've made known to Uefa my view that while the lads did lay their hands on people it was purely defensive and prompted by the situation they were in."

Tickets for tomorrow night's game at Turner's Cross completely sold out within a mater of hours of being put on sale last week.

But the club says that a small number may go on sale in advance of the game if Red Star return any of the 500 they were allocated for the tie, which will be screened live on RTÉ television.