BREAKING NEWS
The closing stages of the Meath Senior Football Championship appear to have hit choppy waters after the Leinster Council upheld a case taken by Na Fianna regarding the methodology used to determine placings in their group.
With three teams – Donaghmore/Ashbourne, Na Fianna and Curraha – all tied on two points each, the Baconstown-Enfield combination believed that the score calculations involving all all three deadlocked teams, and not just themselves and the ‘Moores should have been taken into account.
Common sense really, except that commodity seldom lives up to its name. While stopping short of awarding Cormac Davey’s charges the victory ‘in the boardroom’ as it were, well placed sources indicate that Coiste Na Mi were instructed to stage a re-fixture.
Any such decision would of course have ramifications across the board in the Meath SFC with St Colmcille’s awaiting the winners in the last eight of the title race and Seneschalstown penciled in to tackle the vanquished in stage one of the battle to avoid the bacon slicer.
As per the GAA’s Official Guide, teams are entitled to 96 hours notice of a Championship fixture. Four days in other words. Therefore, even if the fixture was made today (Sunday), the earliest it could take place would be next Thursday.
So it would appear almost inevitable that there will be some degree of delay to the conclusion of the race for the Keegan Cup. That’s without even mentioning the possibility – or probability – that Donaghmore/Ashbourne could take a counter case.
At this stage it’s worth pointing out that the situation currently playing out in the Royal County is far from unique to Meath this year. So far, to my knowledge, the Gracefield club in Offaly and Clare’s Sixmilebridge found themselves in similar situation and, certainly, the club of Davy Fitz were even rumoured to be challenging the competition regulations as directed from Croke Park.
Interesting times ahead…
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