McInally not throwing in the towel at Sligo

Jim McInally is staying as player-manager of Sligo Rovers, for the moment at least.

The 35-year-old former Scottish international intimated at the weekend that he was considering resigning after his youthful side was beaten 4-1 by Shamrock Rovers.

"I will hold off until the end of the first round of games when we have played everybody," said McInally. "If we still only have four points then I don't think I'll have any option but to reconsider my position. Of course, the committee of the club may decide otherwise in the meantime.

"While it might be the best thing for such a young team to go down and then come back up, I don't want to see the club relegated," he added.

"Football-wise, the big picture is excellent at Sligo in the long-term because the young players are here, and I don't doubt for one minute what I'm doing by playing them. I just don't want to see the club being relegated," said McInally, before clearing up a misunderstanding.

"I didn't mean to be critical of the senior players at the club when I spoke after the game on Sunday. Heaven knows, we haven't got too many of them. "What I meant was that I need older players to come into the team to help the young lads, but I haven't got them and don't have the resources to bring them to the club."

Meanwhile, Derry City striker Liam Coyle has been suspended for six matches and fined u £40 by the FAI National League disciplinary committee following his recent sending-off against Drogheda United at the Brandywell. Coyle was dismissed towards the end of the match for violent conduct by Dublin referee Eddie Barr.

The disciplinary committee have written to Drogheda United in relation to an incident involving one of their players who allegedly urinated while warming up at half-time during the same match.

Another six-match suspension has been given to Home Farm/Fingal's teenage striker Richard Foran for his involvement in the fracas at the end of his side's recent game with Longford Town at Whitehall.

Jason Martyn of Home Farm has been banned for three matches for his involvement in the same incident while both clubs have been asked to give their views on what happened.

Dundalk manager Terry Eviston has been banned from the dug-out for four games and fined u £100 having been reported by the referee after his side's game with Cobh Ramblers.

Other suspensions confirmed yesterday were: David Whittle (Waterford United), three matches; Ray McLoughlin (Shamrock Rovers), two matches; James Impey (Drogheda United), Dessie Byrne (St Patrick's Athletic), Austin Skelly (Home Farm/Finagal) and Eric Smith (Athlone Town) one match each. Suspensions are effective from Tuesday October 12th.