April ban had no real impact on core issue
THE month of April has come and gone. Tuesday is the beginning of May. GAA authorities recommended that the entire month of April should be ring-fenced for club football. County managers were to close up shop for the 30 days and release players back to their clubs. Early indications would suggest that there were various degrees of adherence to the directive but that doesn’t necessarily mean that April was filled with anymore club activity than normal. Less than half of all counties had scheduled a round of club championships matches. Most like ourselves in Louth used the month for league games. There were four rounds of league games completed in Louth during the month but I think that has been more or less the same as what has happened for the last number of seasons. In his final address to Congress as GAA Director General Paraic Duffy called on counties to sort out their own club fixtures and not to be seeking help from Croke Park. He also advised against appointing county managers who are not interested in the local club scene. This Puntius Pilate approach of washing your hands of responsibility will not work. The nationwide dissatisfaction with the club fixtures problem is growing. Croke Park’s hope that an April-free county programme will provide the solution has not work. The plight of the club player goes a lot deeper and they will not be appeased by such token actions. The club player is not getting a fair crack of the whip. This problem is not going away. Speaking of last weekends league programme, Newtown Blues have continued their impressive early season form with another convincing win, their fourth on the trot. Cooley could only manage a single point on their visit to Drogheda with the home side registering 1-11. Clans unbeaten start to the Division One campaign continued with victory over St Brides in a high scoring game in Castletown. A feature of Clans play this season has been their ability to score goals. Four on Friday night brings their total to eleven in four games. Pete McGrath will be happy to have seen Sam Mulroy return to action over the weekend where he was in fine scoring form for Naomh Martin in their win over Dundalk Gaels. The remaining two top flight fixtures both ended in draws between Geraldines v Ardee and Mattock v Pats. Hunterstown and O Raghallaighs continue to lead the way in Division Two with both clubs maintaining their 100% records with big wins over Roche and Glyde.
Toppled
IN soccer Dundalk were knocked off the top of the table by arch rivals Cork with a narrow defeat at Turners Cross on Friday night.
Despite dominating the game for long periods Stephen Kennys men were beaten by single second half strike from Gearoid Morrissey.
These head to heads clashes will be crucial to the destination of the league title. Drogheda remain second in the First Division table after they were held to a 1-1 draw against leaders Shelbourne at United Park.
Marred
LIVERPOOL’S scintillating European form delivered another outstanding performance against Roma at Anfield last week. Mo Salah’s was mesmerising as Liverpool cut he Italians to shreds to lead 5-0 after 70 minutes. The Reds then took the foot off the gas and allowed Roma in for two late goals which gives them a glimmer of hope in the return leg. The night was marred by violence outside the ground where Meathman Sean Cox was set upon by Roma fans in an unprovoked attack and is in a critical condition. Sean is a former chairman of St Peters GAA club in Dunboyne and a jersey from the club will hang in the Liverpool dressing room for the away leg in Rome. He works locally as a Sales Director with Dundalk company Precision Cables. We wish him a speedy recovery.