FAI consider double-yellow line

News: The FAI are expected to consider what action to take after referee Dave McKeon admitted in his report on Thursday's Carlsberg FAI Cup third-round replay between Shelbourne and Sligo Rovers at Tolka Park he had booked Sligo's Gareth Gorman twice but mistakenly failed to send the player off.

The problem came to light immediately after the match, a captivating contest which Rovers won 3-2 after extra time, when it emerged the fourth official had attempted to tell McKeon when he was booking Gorman for the second time the player had already received a yellow card.

The referee apparently dismissed the suggestion, indicating it was another Sligo player that had been cautioned, but after consulting with his assistants after the game, McKeon appears to have conceded he had, in fact, made an error.

It was reported yesterday that FAI officials were made aware by Shelbourne chief executive Ollie Byrne of a precedent, relating to a UEFA Cup match three years ago, for a game to be replayed in such circumstances but it is far from clear what action will be taken as nobody connected with Merrion Square would discuss the matter. Byrne also declined to comment when contacted yesterday other than to say his club had not lodged an official complaint or protest with the FAI, whose responsibility it was to deal with the matter.

That is likely to happen next week when the association's domestic committee gather for a routine meeting, probably on Wednesday.

Whatever action the committee recommends is likely to anger one of the clubs, and though neither has taken any action at this stage one or other could become involved by lodging an appeal. The winners of the tie are scheduled to meet Galway United at home at the quarter-final stage in mid-September so there will be pressure to resolve the matter swiftly.

Sligo manager Don O'Riordan said yesterday he not yet been officially informed of any suggestion that Thursday's result might be overturned but he expressed dismay that the issue might arise.

"I think it would be a terrible shame," he said. "The people at Shelbourne, Pat Fenlon, the fans and his players accepted the defeat so graciously, we looked at them with so much respect. Pat came straight over to me and wished us the best. He said we deserved it and that he hoped we would go on to win the thing. I can't imagine for the life of me how we could be told now that we have to play them again."

Fenlon, indeed, said immediately after the game on Thursday he did not wish to see the result of the game challenged although it is clear his will not be the final word on the matter at Shelbourne, for whom the cost of losing at this stage of the cup and not going on to lift the trophy could be anything up to €100,000.

Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has accepted he will be without Robbie Keane for the crucial Euro 2004 qualifier against Russia at Lansdowne Road on Saturday, September 6th.

Kerr has spoken with the Tottenham Hotspur medical staff and they confirmed the striker would not be ready to take his place against the Russians following the ankle-ligament injury he picked up in the friendly victory over Australia in Dublin on Tuesday night.

"Having consulted with Tottenham and their medical/physio team I'm disappointed to hear that Robbie's injury is more serious than we first hoped and I accept that he will be unavailable to the club and ourselves for the near future," said Kerr.

"While his absence from the game with Russia is a huge disappointment and will make the task more difficult, we hope Robbie can make a speedy recovery to play for his club and be available for our game with Switzerland in October."

Keane hobbled out of Lansdowne Road on crutches following Tuesday's game and on his return to London had a scan taken on his damaged ankle.

Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle has said Keane would be out for at least a fortnight and would also miss three Premiership games for his club, against Leeds United, Liverpool and Fulham.