Referee abandons tie for players' safety

THE APOCALYPTIC weather conditions that caused the postponement of yesterday’s AIB Connacht football final played an even meaner trick on the Leinster semi-final in Portlaoise.

O’Moore Park was fit to start the Portlaoise-Clara match despite heavy rain having rinsed out the promise of early sunshine but after a half-time deluge Meath referee Joe Curley abandoned proceedings, three minutes into second half – with Clara leading Portlaoise 1-5 to seven points – as it became clear that ubiquitous puddles of surface water had made the pitch unsafe for players.

Curley declined to comment afterwards but one of his officials said the decision had been made on the basis of the players’ safety. There were no great complaints, as the understandably modest attendance – including Clara’s most famous member, Taoiseach Brian Cowen – drifted away. The refixture will take place next weekend, probably on Saturday at the same venue but that has to be confirmed by tonight’s meeting of the Leinster Council.

“The game is likely to be back here next weekend,” said provincial secretary Michael Delaney. “The problem is that we have the Ballyhale-Tullamore hurling final fixed for next Sunday. I spoke with the referee at half-time and he said it was playable as it finished the first half. He said both teams wanted to start the second half and that he would give it five minutes. I think he gave it three but it was obvious to everyone it wasn’t playable. I’m after being across the pitch just now and it’s certainly not playable.”

Favourites Portlaoise had struggled in the opening quarter despite the advantage of a gale-force wind. Clara showed impressive control and touch to lead 1-3 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter. The home side steadied and picked off points to move ahead 0-7 to 1-3 despite prolific goal-scorer Paul Cahillane missing a penalty in the 16th minute.

Clara had equalised by the break and Stephen Deehan, scorer of their early goal, kicked a point to put the Offaly champions ahead just before Curley, who had consulted with virtually everyone in the ground during an interval that lasted 25 minutes, decided enough was enough. His decision was not controversial in either dressingroom.

“That’s one of the best pitches in the country,” said Portlaoise manager John Mulligan. “You couldn’t blame any of the ground staff. It was just the weather conditions. The ref did the right thing.

“We normally get a good start in games but Clara got it today. From our point of view it was a soft goal to concede and I thought we showed great character to come back. We were looking forward to the second half because I thought we were coming back into it but it’s another day out for us.”

His Clara counterpart, Pat Flanagan, was a little more disappointed given his side’s promising first-half display but acknowledged the decision to abandon had been the right one. “From the stand the pitch didn’t look as bad it was but out there it was very poor under foot.

“The referee said to me at half-time he’d give it a go but if it got any worse he’d pull it and it did. Somebody may have got hurt and we don’t want anybody hurt. Safety of players is paramount.”