Derry county football final goes ahead after Slaughtneil appeal fails

THE DERRY COUNTY final between O’Donovan Rossa Magherafelt and Sean O’Leary Newbridge, will go ahead this Sunday (Celtic Park, 3.30pm throw-in) after an appeal on Tuesday night from Slaughtneil was thrown out by the Derry county board.

Slaughtneil had been beaten by Newbridge in last weekend’s semi-final, but were understood to be unhappy around some of the decisions by matchday referee Martin McErlain in the closing stages.

Chiefly, the decision that a late score by Shane McGuigan was ruled as a one-point score rather than a two-point score, and the advancement of a free to within the scoring zone that Conor Doherty converted for a two-point free.

Representation was made by the south Derry club to the county board’s Hearing Committee, but the case will go no further.

In the playing rules, a crucial line states that, ‘An Objection or Counter-Objection based on the grounds that the referee had incorrectly allowed or failed to allow a score during play shall be deemed to be out of order.’

The Derry county final is being played this weekend to allow for the possibility of a replay, as their senior champions are slated to meet Antrim champions Dunloy on the weekend of November 1/2.