Meath players take case to the DRA

THE FIVE Meath footballers handed eight-week suspensions arising from the league match against Dublin on April 20th are continuing their appeal process to the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA).

Brendan Murphy, Séamus Kenny, Niall McKeigue, Shane McAnarney and Nigel Crawford missed last Sunday's emphatic opening Leinster championship victory over Carlow at Croke Park and will also be absent from the quarter-final against Wexford on June 1st, unless the DRA overturn their bans.

The Meath county board are not overly supportive of the players' decision after the Central Appeals Committee upheld the initial sanctions passed down by the Central Competitions Control Committee and subsequently the Central Hearings Committee in the aftermath of the melee that erupted at Parnell Park.

"It is now a personal issue so we will leave it to the players to make their case," said Meath secretary Cyril Creavin. "We supported them up to and through the appeals process but left the decision (to go to DRA) to the players now. We have to support this."

The five players, undoubtedly guided by solicitor Nigel Crawford, may have a case as the CAC dismissed an objection to the presence of a Wexford official on the initial disciplinary committee as "hypothetical" because at the time of appeal Meath had not progressed to face Wexford. They have since.

Creavin confirmed this defence "is still an issue" but that there is "more to the appeal than a loophole" or technicality. It is about fair play," he added.

Dublin's Bernard Brogan also took his eight week suspension to the CAC - when team-mates Ciarán Whelan, Paul Flynn and Dermot Connolly opted not to - but he is expected to decide against a further appeal. All four will miss Dublin's championship opener against Louth on June 8th.

Meath's Peadar Byrne, Caoimhín King and Darren Fay received four-week suspensions but did not miss any game time. Dublin's Paddy Andrews, Ross McConnell, Tomás Quinn and Eamonn Fennell also got four weeks, ruling them out of the Division Two final defeat to Westmeath.

Both county boards were handed record €20,000 fines but Meath's was reduced to €10,000 on appeal. Dublin did not contest the financial penalty. The DRA could convene a hearing this weekend or early next week.

Meanwhile, Limerick football manager Mickey Ned O'Sullivan has named four debutants ahead of Sunday's Munster quarter-final against Tipperary in Fermoy.

The entire full-forward line of Kieran O'Callaghan, who captains the side, Dermot Phelan and Ian Ryan, are joined in the starting team by corner back Stephen Walsh. Michael Reidy and Conor Mullane were not considered due to injury.

Laois manager Damian Fox has named two championship newcomers to face his native Offaly in next Sunday's Leinster hurling quarter-final in Portlaoise. An injury to Simon Norton sees Camross midfielder Colin Delaney come in while Noel Costelloe starts at left corner forward.

Westmeath's main scoring forward, Brendan Murtagh, looks certain to miss Sunday's meeting with Dublin, also in Portlaoise, after sustaining a fractured right hand in a recent challenge match against Laois.

LIMERICK (SFC v Tipperary): S Kiely; D Carroll, J McCarthy, S Walsh; P Browne, S Lavin, P Ranahan; T Cahill, J Galvin; S Kelly, J Ryan, S Buckley; K O'Callaghan (capt), D Phelan, I Ryan.

LAOIS (SHC v Offaly): P Mullaney; JA Delaney, B Campion, C Dunne; J Fitzpatrick, J Phelan, C Coonan; J Walsh, C Delaney; E Browne, E Holohan, W Hyland; J Brophy, T Fitzgerald, N Costelloe.

Weekend fixtures

SATURDAY

Ulster SHC quarter-final: Armagh v London, Newry, 2.0, extra-time if necessary.

SUNDAY

Connacht SFC: London v Sligo, Ruislip, 2.30, C Reilly (Meath).

Munster SFC: Limerick v Tipperary, Fermoy, 3.30, R Hickey (Clare); Clare v Waterford, Ennis, 3.30, A Mangan (Kerry). Ulster SFC: Fermanagh v Monaghan, Enniskillen, 4.0, D Fahy (Longford), live on RTÉ 2/BBC 2.

Ulster MFC: Fermanagh v Monaghan, Enniskillen, 2.15, J Galligan (Cavan). Leinster SHC: Offaly v Laois, Portlaoise, 2.0, J Ryan (Tipperary), live RTÉ 2; Dublin v Westmeath, Portlaoise, 3.50, C McAllister (Cork).

Ulster SHC quarter-final: Derry v Monaghan, Celtic Park, 7.30, T McIntyre (Antrim), extra-time if necessary.

Ulster MHC: Donegal v Derry, Celtic Park, 5.45, O Elliott (Antrim).