WATERFORD HURLER SHANE O’Sullivan will stand before the DRA next week in a last gasp attempt to overturn the red card received in the recent league relegation play-off and make himself available to face Cork in the Munster SHC on May 25th.
The Ballygunner man received a straight red from referee Johnny Ryan after 27 minutes of the relegation play-off against Dublin on March 30 after connecting with the helmet of Michael Carton.
Manager Derek McGrath confirmed last night that they will support the midfielder in pursuing his case just days before their championship opener.
His one match ban was previously upheld in the Central Hearings Committee and the Central Appeals Committee.
“We owe it to Shane as a management to back him to the last and any path that he wants to take and he is entitled to go that particular path. We would feel that he presented himself alone a very strong case to both the hearings committee and the CAC and lost both cases.
“He spoke powerfully and really was passionate about an injustice being done. We would strongly feel that there was an injustice done. The implications of being sent off in your last league game are huge given the fact that you miss your first championship game given the new rule of Congress.”
O’Sullivan’s appeal creates a selection dilemma for McGrath.
“There’s an ambiguity to it because we are trying to plan almost as if Shane might not be involved and we might be thrown a curveball with the DRA given that it’s an independent council. Several cases have been overturned at DRA level.”
Waterford already have a serious injury crisis with several players out. Philip Mahony (broken leg), Stephen Molumphy (hamstring), Stephen Daniels (knee), Maurice Shanahan (back) and Jamie Barron (ankle) have all been ruled out while Jake Dillon is a huge doubt with a knee injury.
I know it is February, I know it is the league, I know it is Offaly
@Fergus McGrath: diff
@Fergus McGrath: different tears in Michael Duignan’s eyes this evening
Limerick surely favourites for Liam this year by the looks of things!
@Paddy: you MUST be a hurling genius
@conor murphy: By god I am, having listened to many a Limerick fan over the years, they have me NEARLY brainwashed
@Paddy: limerick favourites? You mad? A munster final and all ireland semi (even though I think there’s more in this side) I’d be happy with for this year
@David Dooley: Excuse me for not making my sarcasm more clear.
@David Dooley: That would be an amazing season for Limerick, I can’t see it happening though..
I was at the game. Limerick were very poor for long periods in the game. The team still appear to be preoccupied with possession hurling from the back( think man city). Offaly got great success from pressing hard in limerick halfback line and midfield area. Limerick weren’t clever enough to recognise this and see the space behind that press and were regularly turned over. The turning points were a missed penalty, soft sending off and 5 pointable frees by iffy.