Mullins likely to be reappointed as Derry manager

THE two-month suspension imposed on Brian Mullins is unlikely to interfere with his expected re-appointment as Derry's football team manager for another year. Any move to confirm Mullins's managerial status however, is likely to be resisted until after his suspension expires towards the end of the month.

There is a view within the county that an untimely confirmation of the appointment of a suspended member would be perceived as unethical. "It's all about interpretation," says one county board source.

The Derry County Board will meet tomorrow evening and the new football management is to be discussed. Last year's management team, consisting of Mullins, Frank Kearney, Anthony MeGurk and Eugene Young, saw their All-Ireland hopes die at the hands of Tyrone in the semifinals of the Ulster championship.

Mullins and his selectors have already met and have decided to allow their names go forward for another season. Since then Mull ins was handed down a two-month ban, arising from incidents at a minor club match.

The Derry county board are also eager to commence work on a major £500,000 project on a 57-acre site, the property of the board, at Owenbeg, outside Dungiven, that will provide the county with its first suitable headquarters with comprehensive amenities.

The County Board have, for so long. been subjected to the good offices of clubs for its meetings, a legacy of this was the uncertainty yesterday of the venue for tomorrow's meeting.

Meanwhile, Kerry have serious problems ahead of naming their team for Sunday's All-Ireland under-21 football final against Cavan in Thurles. Charlie McCarthy sustained a broken leg when playing for his club Gneeveguilla a fortnight ago and will be out until after Christmas.

Dingle clubman Jack Ferriter's shoulder injury, which has kept him out of the game for months, still rules him out for consideration, while Pa O'Sullivan, who was introduced as a substitute in the semi-final, is not expected to be fully recovered from a chipped ankle bone injury. The selectors are hoping to be in a position to name Liam Hassett, who missed the semi-final because of injury.

Cavan are expected to name an unchanged team from the one that beat Meath in the semi-final replay at Hyde Park.

The under-21 football decider is timed for 2.0 p.m. and will open the proceedings in Thurles, with the hurling decider between Galway and Wexford to follow at 3.30 p.m.

Galway will be including star minors, Eugene Cloonan, Mick Healy and Nigel Murray. Remarkably Cloonan, the top scorer from the full-forward spot in Sunday's minor final, is expected to be named in goal.

Anyone who saw Cloonan in action last Sunday would regard this move as a sheer waste of scoring potential. However. the young Athenry player was highly effective as the last line of defence against Cork and the selectors have obviously taken the logical view that stopping scores is every hit as important as hitting them.

The date and venue for the replay of the All-Ireland minor final have yet to be announced.

Five members of Wexford's All-Ireland panel - Rory McCarthy, Garry Laffan, Declan Ruth, Paul Codd and the suspended Eamonn Scallan - will not be available for this evening's Goal Challenge match in Wexford Park. McCarthy, Laffan, Ruth and Codd are members of the under-21 team and will be resting ahead of Sunday.

Scallan, sent off last Sunday, will have to wait until this month's first meeting of the GAC, probably next week, before knowing his fate. It all depends on the wording of referee Pat Horan's match report. Suspensions in the past have varied under the different categories of rough play, dangerous play, striking an opponent with the hurley, pulling with abandon etc.

Referee Horan, who will be in charge of this evening's match in Wexford Park, said that he enjoyed the experience of his first All-Ireland senior final and added: "But it was unfortunate about Eamonn. These things happen."

Scallan's first-half point last Sunday ensured the Liam Mellowes man parity with team captain Martin Storey, in that they are the only Wexford players to have scored in every round of the championship.

Michael Duignan of Offaly has been drafted into the rest of Ireland side for the Goal challenge match at Wexford Park this evening, after DJ Carey was forced to withdraw due to a hamstring injury. John Taylor (Laois). Jamesie O'Connor (Clare) and Johnny Pilkington (Offaly) have been named as substitutes.