Longford GAA consider DRA appeal
Longford Co Board officials were left disappointed for the second time in the space of just over a week after the Central Appeals Committee (CAC) dismissed their attempts to get their recent NFL Division 4 defeat by Limerick overturned.
The unsuccessful appeal came only days after the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) overlooked referee Sean Carroll's confession in his match report that had made a mistake.
Rather than take on board the protestations of the Longford board, the CCCC endorsed the Westmeath official's report and ratified the 1-8 to 0-9 result in favour of Limerick.
Seamus Hannon scored what looked like the game's winning goal deep into stoppage.
However, Carroll blew the final whistle seconds before Hannon's intervention preventing the goal from being allowed to stand.
Longford had been arguing the goal should have stood because, under experimental rules, a referee can only blow for full time when the ball is out of play.
Longford County Board Chairman Pat Cahill joined Secretary Peter O'Reilly in pleading Longford's case to the board much of which centred on Carroll's alleged error in blowing prematurely while the ball was still in play.
It is understood between "six to seven" arguments were put forward by both men at the meeting on Tuesday evening in Croke Park.
Having fallen short with their appeal, Longford County Board members are now believed to be mulling over the whether to pursue the matter further through the auspices of the Disputes Resolutions Authority (DRA).
Delegates have for the moment decided to sit tight and seek third party advice before lodging any subsequent motion with the board.
"That's where we are at at the moment," PRO John Duffy said on Thursday. We'll have to wait and see (about DRA appeal) but it is something we have looked at."
Regardless of the lack of headway both the appeal and earlier submission to the CCCC have made thus far, the feeling amongst delegates is still raw.
"It was the first time they (delegates) got the chance to have their say. There were many who expressed the felling that had this happened in a bigger county there would have been a replay at the minimum," he said.
Longford have less than a week to lodge any appeal with the DRA meaning the executive and the board's decision to enlist 'third party advice' must be returned by Monday evening at the latest.
Much however would appear to hinge on this Sunday's must win Division 4 league encounter with Waterford.
A defeat to the Deise outfit would all but end any hopes Glenn Ryan's charges had on securing promotion this season, making the prospect of a DRA hearing all the more unlikely.
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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