CROKES TO APPEAL BUCKLEY BAN

FOLLOWING his straight red card in last Saturday’s victory over Mullinaughta in the All-Ireland Senior Club Semi-Final win in Thurles, Dr Crokes midfielder Johnny Buckley has been given a one match ban by the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee.

Dr Crokes received confirmation of their 2017 All-Ireland Club winning captain’s suspension Tuesday lunchtime and club chairman Patrick O’Sullivan confirmed Dr Crokes’ intention to appeal the one match ban to The Kerryman yesderday (Tuesday).

The club have three days to appeal the suspension and are presently putting their case together with Mr O’Sullivan confident that the Killarney club have grounds to appeal the decision of match referee Seán Hurson in the first-half of last Saturday’s five-point victory over the Longford side.

As it stands Buckley would miss the St Patricks Day All-Ireland Senior decider with Corofin of Galway as the 2017 and 2018 winners of the Andy Merrigan Cup clash at 3.45pm on Sunday, March 17.

The match comes a day after Kerry’s meeting with Mayo in the Allianz League under floodlights in Tralee with delegates at Monday night’s County Committee Meeting encouraged to purchase tickets early in advance of another expected sell-out.

It was stressed that the selling and distribution of tickets for League games were handled by the GAA and its national ticket distribution networks and not through the County Committee or GAA clubs themselves as would be the case for championship matches.

Johnny Buckley of Dr Crokes, right, is shown a red card by referee Seán Hurson during the AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Club Championship Semi-Final match between Mullinalaghta St Columba’s and Dr Crokes at Semple Stadium in Thurles Photo by Seb Daly / Sportsfile