‘Beast’ and ‘Emma’ blow more ill winds over Carlow

IF equality doesn’t apply to all, then it’s not equality.

Carlow footballers have genuine grounds for complaint following the re-scheduling arrangements arising from last weekend’s fixtures wipe-out.

They are in a three-way battle with Laois and Antrim for Division 4’s two promotion places but could find themselves in a disadvantaged situation in a few weeks’ time.

Laois v Antrim (postponed last weekend) will be played on March 31 or April 1, a week after Carlow complete their programme.

Either Laois or Antrim could be guaranteed promotion before they meet, with the other needing to win to get ahead of Carlow.

Would the already-promoted county use the free pass to give the extended squad a run-out, thus making it easier for the opposition while also impacting on Carlow?

DRIVEN

And even if they fielded their strongest team, they would hardly be as driven as opposition who needed to win to clinch promotion.

Results in the intervening games may not create this problem for Carlow, who may clinch promotion before Laois and Antrim meet, but it remains a distinct possibility.

Carlow haven’t been in the league’s third tier since the mid1980s, but after winning their first four games there a real sense of optimism in the county that this will be their breakthrough season.

Their attempt should not be compromised in any way by a tweaked fixtures’ schedule, caused by a combination of ‘The Beast from the East’ and ‘Emma’.

The integrity of the competition demanded that even if it meant scrapping the Division 4 final, which has been re-fixed for the weekend of April 7/8, every county should get to play its final group game on the same day.