Semple answer to hurling replay

Full details have been announced for the All-Ireland hurling quarter-final replay between Kilkenny and Clare - including the definite provision for extra-time. Ian O'Riordan reports.

The game will go ahead in Semple Stadium, Thurles this Saturday, with a 4.15 p.m. throw-in.

RTÉ have announced live television coverage, while the curtain raiser will be the All-Ireland junior football final between Leitrim and Waterford, which will have a 2.30 p.m. start.

Officials of the Kilkenny and Clare county boards discussed the replay arrangements with the GAA's Games Administration Committee (GAC) shortly after Sunday's draw at Croke Park.

Both counties expressed preferences, Kilkenny picking Thurles and Clare choosing Limerick, but the GAA settled on Thurles, primarily for its accessibility.

"The GAC took on board the views of both counties," said Fergal McGill of the GAA press office. "And most of the southern venues would have been considered. But it was decided that Thurles was the best place to play the game."

According to Kilkenny secretary Pat Dunphy, the Tipperary venue was the fairest choice.

"It is one of the best pitches in the country," said Dunphy. "And as is often said, if you can't play hurling in Thurles then you can't play it anywhere.

"But we also would have felt the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick would have been much more suitable to the Clare supporters, the fact that it practically borders on the county. And we would have objected to Limerick. So our preference was always Thurles and we're happy with that."

Clare secretary Pat Fitzgerald was a little less satisfied: "We wouldn't feel it is quite equidistant, but we haven't had the chance to discuss it fully at county board level. But right now that's all we've been told."

With regard to the confusion over extra-time in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's draw, both counties agree the implications were minimal - and that the mixed signals weren't the source of any real irritation.

"What did lead to some confusion was that the notices around the dressing-room and the corridors detailing the order of the day said that extra-time would be played," said Dunphy. "We ourselves felt it was to go to a replay.

"And it was also a game we felt we could have lost, and also could have won. We were lucky to hang on towards the end when we were down to 14 men. But then Clare can feel they were quite lucky to equalise."

Fitzgerald agreed the confusion over extra-time was over-played: "I thought that the quarter-finals might now be an extension of the new qualifier system, and that's why they allowed for extra-time. And I think we would have preferred to play extra-time on the day. But it was no major deal."

Neither team reports any fresh injury problems in the aftermath of the draw. Clare full back Brian Lohan is unlikely to benefit from the extra week recovery, and the hamstring problems that ruled him out last Sunday will once again keep him on the sideline.

Kilkenny will have corner back Tommy Walsh available for selection as his sending-off on 41 minutes came with two yellow cards and so entailed no further suspension.

There was some confusion about his position had there been extra-time, which, technically, is a whole new game. Kilkenny would have been restored to 15 players, but according to rule 138 2(iii) "a player ordered off for a category D offence (second cautionable foul) may not play for the duration of the remainder of that game, which shall include extra time where played".

Not surprisingly, it has also been clearly stated that should next Saturday's game end in a draw, there will be two periods of extra-time of ten minutes each.

New Stand admission will be by ticket only, while cash will apply to the Old Stand and terraces.

Admission to the stands will be €35 and to the terraces €20. Students and senior citizens will be admitted for 15 and juvenile admission will be 5.

Also now confirmed is the schedule for the All-Ireland semi-finals: Waterford will play the winners of the Kilkenny/Clare replay in Croke Park on August 8th and Cork will play Wexford on the 15th.

Cork could not be drawn to play Waterford as they had already met in the provincial final.

As previously indicated, Sunday's football double bill of fourth-round qualifiers at Croke Park will start with Dublin against Roscommon at 2.15 p.m. - Tyrone will face Laois at 4.15 p.m. Extra-time will be played in both games if necessary.

The Dublin County Board have requested 25,000 tickets, which will go on sale today for Parnell Park ticket holders from 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 2.15 p.m. to 9 p.m. - tickets go on general sale at the same times tomorrow, when clubs can also collect their allocations.