Shamrocks GAA object to Offaly SFC quarter-final loss over two point score

SHAMROCKS GAA Club have decided to object to their Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship quarter-final loss to Ferbane on the basis that a two point score was incorrectly awarded to the winners in the first half.

Shamrocks were edged out by 3-15 to 2-17 in a thrilling game that they should have won, coughing up a six point lead, conceding a late goal, missing an injury time goal chance and letting a very relieved Ferbane get out of jail.

The Shamrocks GAA committee met on Monday night to discuss the loss and a fifth minute two pointer that was awarded to Ferbane forward Adam Egan. A couple of players were invited to that meeting and subsequently consulted other players, informing the committee that they wished to pursue an objection.

Adam Egan's controversial two point score.

Shamrocks have until 3pm on Wednesday to submit their objection and are likely to get it in on Tuesday. Ferbane will have the right to counter object then and will have three days to do so unless they decide not to and let the Shamrocks' objection takes its course – there is logic in that as the Shamrocks objection will either stand or fall on its own merits though they will also have to consider what happens if they don't counter-object and Shamrocks did win their appeal.

It could all, however, get very messy and if Shamrocks lose and then appeal to Leinster Council, it would result in a cloud hanging over Ferbane's semi-final date with Edenderry into next week. Shamrocks GAA chairman Anthony Hanniffy confirmed on Tuesday morning that they are objecting and asked about what stance they will take in the likely event that they will lose their objection, he said they would “cross that bridge” when they come to it.

The likelihood and hope is that Shamrocks will let it lie at that stage if their objection is thrown out by the Offaly Competitions Control Committee later in the week – they will be well aware that their chances of a replay are fairly slim but are making their annoyance known at Sunday's loss and the decisions that went against them.

The two point score awarded to Adam Egan did look to be a wrong decision by referee Chris Dwyer. It looked wrong in real time as Egan looked to have drifted inside the two point arc and still images and Clubber footage of the score in circulation since seem to confirm that an error was made. A still image shows that Egan has his two feet well inside the arc just after kicking the ball – a two point score is allowed if a foot is on the arc.

Even if the objection gets to the stage that images and footage are examined, that still image won't get the decision over turned as the ball is on its way towards the post, gone a few metres and it doesn't show Egan's boot to the ball and where he was when he kicked – it shows enough to suggest that Egan was fully inside the arc when he launched his kick but would probably not be accepted as the overwhelming proof that is required and Shamrocks will need the moving footage for this. It is difficult to see in the recorded footage but it does look like Egan was inside the arc and it should have been a one point score.

It is doubtful, however, if it will get to the stage of footage and images being examined. Shamrocks' appeal is based on a Fermnanagh decision some weeks ago where a club got a replay after two one pointers were given as two pointers in a game. Those scores were well inside the arc and the Fermanagh decision fuelled a belief around the country that clubs could successfully appeal two point scores that were incorrectly awarded.

This confusion led to Croke Park issuing a notice to all counties and instructing them to correctly apply the rule relating to objections to scores during a game being out of order.

There were subsequent objections to results in Carlow and Mayo on the basis of scores being incorrectly awarded and both have been lost. The Carlow decision was accepted at local level while the Mayo club appealed to Connacht Council and lost there.

This all suggests that the Shamrocks' appeal will meet a similar fate. Rule 7.5 n looks fairly clearcut. Part (ii) states that an objection can be upheld if it is “proven that a score allowed during the course of the game was either not recorded or incorrectly recorded by the referee and that error has affected the result of the game”.

That part, however, relates to a referee making a mistake such as marking a point or goal down for the wrong team or not writing down a score. This has been clarified to counties by Croke Park and has been long accepted by clubs and counties.

The rule goes on to say that an objection or counter objection on the grounds that the referee “incorrectly allowed/or failed to allow a score during play shall be deemed to be out of order”.

The Ferbane two pointer is very much in that area and it means that the Shamrocks' appeal will be lost, unless they can somehow pull a rabbit out of the hat and convince the decision makers that the rule does allow a refixture.

Shamrocks' appeal is a questionable one as there have been loads of incidents of this nature over the years where clubs have lost out to scores wrongly given and mistakes of this nature being made. Several clubs have been hard done by and have had to take their medicine but Shamrocks' anger is deeper than just that score and there has been footage circulating of a number of other incidents in that game where they felt frees should have been given.

They will be making a protest about the standard of refereeing along with their appeal but this will not receive much attention.

Sunday's game was a fantastic, end to end affair. The best of the championship, there were other controversial incidents. A second half Ferbane point, also from Adam Egan, was initially waved wide but was then given after linesman Adam Kinahan called Chris Dwyer – there is also footage of that in circulation and it was a real tight call but it is hard to make a definitive judgement on it from the clip.

Shamrocks' coach Phil O'Reilly is also facing a lengthy suspension after being reported for an incident with Ferbane dual star David Nally, when he appeared to try to stop him from taking a quick free in the second half. This led to a general melee with members of the Ferbane bench reacting angrily and players in the midst of it before order was restored. O'Reilly was red carded while Dwyer awarded Ferbane a 14 metre tap over free, bringing the ball in from midfield. A former Offaly and Tullamore senior footballer, O'Reilly has managed Tullamore to senior football titles, Offaly minor footballers and a host of clubs, including Ferbane, Gracefield and the Downs in Westmeath. He was brought in as a coach during the season by joint managers, two local men, John Monaghan and Brian Kinnarney.

Shamrocks' were very unlucky to lose but also contributed to their own downfall. That 14 metre free was a big incident while they were also punished for a late three man breach – Cathal Flynn brought the ball back out to the arc and floated over a beautiful two pointer at an absolutely crucial stage in the game.

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It was a controversial game and Shamrocks' appeal will also prove controversial. It certainly won't win many supporters outside their club and even within the club, it will prove divisive. While there is considerable anger at the loss, the decisions that went against them and a significant groundswell in favour of appeal emerged throughout Monday, there is also a lot of people who are against it in the parish and feel they should have accepted the outcome. Not all players were in favour of an appeal and there are also plenty of influential supporters and members who felt they should have took it on the chin, moved on and rebuilt for next year.

Every club, however, has the right to appeal, Shamrocks had a difficult decision to make and it will be interesting to see how this test case goes in the coming days.