Munster replay to go ahead on Sunday

The Clare County Board yesterday moved to bring their annual convention ahead to Saturday in order to accommodate the Munster club football final replay between Doonbeg and Moyle Rovers.

The convention had been fixed for this Sunday and there were protests from Clare County Chairman Robert Frost and secretary Pat Fitzgerald when the replay was announced for the same date after last Sunday's drawn game in Limerick.

They pointed out that the planned replay placed the Doonbeg club and Clare football supporters in an impossible position. Yesterday, the county board decided to hold the convention at 2.00 p.m. on Saturday in Ennis.

There was also consternation at the news that the match was to be replayed at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick (throw in 1.45 p.m.), which was left virtually unplayable at the end of Sunday's drawn match. Further rain will almost certainly result in a switch to Kilmallock, an alternative venue.

"The date for the replay had been set before yesterday's game, as had the venue. But there was an absolutely terrible downpour for an hour and a half before the throw in and obviously the pitch was left in a very poor state," said Munster county secretary Donie Nealon yesterday.

"We'll probably review the situation on Thursday and further rain would probably necessitate a move to Kilmallock," he added.

Meanwhile, the Leinster Council decided late on Sunday night that the second replay between Kilmacud Crokes and Eire Og will take place on January 31st.

Although both clubs had initially suggested a preference for next Sunday, the appalling conditions and the severity of the match in Tullamore left them reasonably content with the lengthy postponement.

"We are quite happy. It's difficult to imagine any pitch improving very much over a week and the conditions were so terrible on Sunday that we just wouldn't want to experience anything like it again," offered Eire Og manager Pat Critchley.

While he declared himself pleased with the attitude of his players throughout the drawn game in Tullamore, he admitted that the soaked, slippery conditions worried him and said he wasn't surprised that plans to play extra-time were over-ruled by referee Brian White.

Eire Og salvaged the draw with a late equaliser from Muckle Keating but White felt that the pitch could not sustain a further half hour of football.

"That really was the only decision. It was getting dangerous out there and while I never felt that he might actually abandon the game, it was obvious that he couldn't allow an added period."

Critchley does not believe that the six week lay-off will affect his team unduly. "We have been through this before, all the lads have trained for All-Ireland semi-finals over the Christmas period so I don't see it being a problem.

"We will probably allow the lads to rest over Christmas week and then get back into the routine, so it won't be too disruptive and it will also give Willie Quinlan a chance to recover from the injury he picked up."

Kilmacud Crokes manager Robbie Kelleher is also satisfied with the Leinster Council arrangements.

"They make sense. It's only fair that the players get a break over Christmas and it really would be asking a lot of both teams to compete again on Sunday, given the awful conditions last Sunday."

Also, the January 31st date means that the eventual winners of the tie have a useful competitive outing in the lead up to the All-Ireland semi-finals," he added.