The Longford SFC continues to be assailed by controversy as Carrickedmond, the club at the heart of the recent saga surrounding a miscounted scoreline, have appealed another decision of the county's CCC.
This time it concerns the awarding of last week's relegation play-off to their opponents Longford Slashers, a match which Carrickedmond didn't play in the wake of their successful appeal to the Central Hearings Committee (CHC) over the result of a pivotal group game against Mullinalaghta.
The controversy has its roots in the final round group game between Mullinalaghta-Carrickedmond on 3 September.
The match was initially thought to have finished in a 2-12 apiece draw, after Carrickedmond mounted a stirring second half comeback, which sent them through to the quarter-finals, eliminating Dromard in the process.
However, a review of the footage of the game confirmed the suspicions of the reporters present that the scoreline had been miscounted - the referee had mistakenly added a point to Carrickedmond's first half tally, leaving the score at 2-06 to 0-06, when it should have read 2-06 to 0-05 to Mullinalaghta. The final scoreline should have been 2-12 to 2-11 in favour of Mullinalaghta.
Mullinalaghta were subsequently awarded the game after appealing to the Longford CCC, which saw them elevated to top spot in the six-team group (four progressed from each group to the quarter-finals), while Dromard leap-frogged Carrickedmond to take the crucial fourth spot.
Carrickedmond were plunged into a relegation play-off but in the meantime appealed the awarding of the game to Mullinalaghta before the Leinster Central Hearings Committee (CHC). The Leinster CHC upheld the appeal on morning of 14 September, the same day that Carrickedmond were due to play Longford Slashers in the relegation play-off semi-final.
With the appeal process ongoing, Carrickedmond chose not to fulfil the fixture against Slashers on the basis that they believed they were back in the Longford SFC knockout phase.
❌ CANCELLED ❌
— Longford Slashers (@LDSlashersGAA) September 14, 2024
We have just been informed by Carrickedmond that they will not be fulfilling the senior championship fixture this evening and so the match will not take place at 8.15pm.
Anyone who purchased tickets to attend will be refunded by Longford GAA next week.
Notwithstanding the decision of the Leinster CHC, Longford pressed ahead with their senior championship quarter-finals, Mullinalaghta pipping neighbours Granard by a point to book their spot in this weekend's semi-final. The north Longford club - who famously won the Leinster senior club title back in 2018 - face 2022 champions Colmcille in the last four, while reigning champions Killoe face Abbeylara in the other semi.
Longford CCC then appealed the Leinster hearings committee decision before the Central Appeals Committee (CAC) and were successful, after which Carrickedmond admitted defeat.
However, the county CCC have since awarded the relegation play-off semi-final to Longford Slashers, pitching Carrickedmond into a do-or-die relegation play-off against Mostrim on Saturday night, a match which is considered much harder than the alternative now facing Slashers, who play Kenagh. The losers of both games this weekend will be demoted to the intermediate ranks.
Now, Carrickedmond are embarking on another appeal, this time against the decision to award the relegation play-off to Longford Slashers and seeking to have the match re-fixed.
Their appeal is based on the rule which that states "where it is not reasonably possible to proceed with the hearing of the objection or counter-objection before the date of any fixture in the competition that could be affected by the outcome of the objection or counter-objection, the CCC shall postpone the fixture".
That appeal is set to be heard this week, as the saga of the 2024 Longford senior championship rumbles on.
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