ARMAGH star Diarmuid Marsden could be suspended for the county’s Bank of Ireland Ulster Championship quarter-final against Tyrone on June 15.
Marsden was sent off in Clann na Gael’s Armagh Championship win over Pearse Og on Friday evening and now faces an anxious wait to see what length of ban he has been given.
Initial reports suggested that Marsden may have been reported by the match referee for more than the minimum two bookable offences.
However, that was not be confirmed by county secretary Patrick Nugent last night.
Nugent said he was unaware of the content of the referee’s report.
Losing Marsden would be a massive blow to Armagh’s chances of matching the Ulster champions. The Clann na Gael clubman only recently returned to action after a long spell dogged by hamstring trouble. Clann na Gael won the Armagh championship match 1-15 to 1-11.
Meanwhile, Armagh are distinctly unhappy about having to journey to Omagh for the June 15 Ulster quarter-final.
Patrick Nugent said last night that the Ulster Council have confirmed Healy Park as the venue for the all-ticket match between the neighbouring counties.
The Armagh official said his county would be making efforts to have the venue changed to Clones. However, Nugent admitted that the Ulster Council was “highly unlikely” to do a u-turn on the issue.
“There is going to be huge interest in this match between counties which border each other. With Omagh having a capacity of around the 20,000 mark, the Ulster Council have already confirmed that the game will be all-ticket.
“There was 24,000 at Clones on Sunday and I’m sure they will be even bigger interest in a championship game between Tyrone and Armagh.
“There’s going to be at least five or six thousand people who won’t be able to be accommodated because of this all-ticket situation.”
TYRONE player Feargal Logan’s ankle is not as badly damaged as was first suspected.
The ankle is not broken, as was thought when he was stretchered off during the closing stages of Sunday’s preliminary round replay at Clones.
An x-ray yesterday revealed no damage to the bone, but there is a ligament problem which will plunge Logan into a race against time to be fit for the first round game against Armagh on Sunday fortnight.
“It’s very painful, and badly swollen, but I’m just relieved it’s not broken,” said the Omagh-based solicitor, who now faces a week of intense physiotherapy.
“A fellow played the ball off and I stood in his path to check him, and whatever way we collided, I just went down like a sack of potatoes.
“I’m going to have a week of solid physio and hopefully if I can get the swelling down, that will allow me to get back to training next week.
MONAGHAN are banking on new fullforward Declan McKernan to exploit perceived difficulties in the Derry defence in Sunday’s Bank of Ireland Ulster Championship clash at Clones.
Derry had problems at full-back during the National League quarter-final against
Laois in early April.
Both David O’Neill and Johnny McBride were caught out by long punts which led to Laois’s three goals that day.
Fergal McCusker recently explained away Derry’s full-back difficulties against Laois as something of a blip.
But Monaghan managers Sean McCague and Eamonn McEneaney are certain to urge their half-backs and midfielders to test the Derry defence under the high ball on Sunday.
McKernan, who plays his football with the local Clones club, has been in superb form for Monaghan in recent challenge matches. Although the Clonesman is six foot plus, he is said to be strong on either foot and possesses useful speed as well.
