Big blow to Offaly club's championships prospects as county midfielder and player hit with ban

AN Offaly club's prospects in the Senior Football Championship have been dealt a huge blow with the suspension of two of their players following a recent challenge game.

County midfielder Jack McEvoy and player James Byrne were both sent off in a challenge game for Clonbullogue against Westmeath's Shandonagh in Clonbullogue recently

The game was refereed by an Offaly man, Eamon O'Connor, Ballycommon and Shandonagh, an intermediate club in Westmeath, had pulled away for a very easy win.

There was a general melee near the end and the referee called a halt to proceedings with time almost up. Apart from those two incidents and the melee, there hadn't been much out of the ordinary in a game where Shanondonagh were clear masters, running in a few goals.

Leinster Council received a report on the match and have duly imposed a two game ban after Clonbullogue and the players accepted the suspensions, not taking up their option of a hearing. Reports would not always be submitted for challenges but had to be in this case as a Shandonagh player received a serious injury during the game.

The two match ban will apply in Offaly, meaning the duo will miss the first two rounds of the Offaly Senior Football Championship.

Winners of the Senior “B” Football Championship last year, Clonbullogue are very keen to make an impact in the top grade. They have been drawn in the weaker of the two groups with champions, Tullamore, Shamrocks and parish rivals Bracknagh.

With the other group consisting of five teams, the four team group isn't starting until the middle of August and Clonbullogue's first game is on August 16 against Shamrocks in Mucklagh. They host Bracknagh in what is likely to be a season defining game a week later, August 24 and play Tullamore at a neutral venue on September 13-14.

With the top team going into the semi-finals and the next two going into quarter-finals, Clonbullogue have a chance of progression but the absence of McEvoy for their first two games is a huge blow. McEvoy was midfield on the Offaly team that went very well this year and him and attacking ace Keith O'Neill are Clonbullogue's two most important players. Byrne is a physically strong player who has battled back from injury.

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It is also significant that McEvoy and Byrne are missing for the two games they will have really targeted for wins against Shamrocks and Bracknagh. They will be rank outsiders against Tullamore, they will be underdogs against Shamrocks and the derby against neighbours Bracknagh is their biggest game of the year, a near 50-50 clash – it is very possible that the winners of this will go into the quarter-finals.