Cork forfeit league points

Cork have forfeited the points from the county's first two National League matches. Yesterday's meeting of the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) decided to apply Rule 136 of the Official Guide and award the points to Meath and Dublin in the Football League and to Kilkenny and Waterford in the Hurling League in respect of the fixtures that Cork couldn't play because of the dispute between players and officials.

But it is believed that last night Kilkenny made representations to have their match refixed for the coming weekend. The county was the only one of the four affected to have offered to play Cork at any time that their opponents were able to fulfil the fixture.

The CCCC also decided to fine the county the minimum amount of €400 per match, a total of €1,600, but the loss will be greater given the loss of such box-office home fixtures as Dublin in football and All-Ireland hurling champions Kilkenny as well as Waterford with whom Cork have had a hugely popular rivalry in recent years.

The county executive was meeting late last night to consider its response to the punishments.

The decision runs counter to the arbitration of Kieran Mulvey, who last week broke the deadlock in the long-running dispute and included in his decision the following:

"I request the Central Competitions Control Committee to agree to a deferment and a rescheduling of Cork hurling and football intercounty match commitments to a future date so as to facilitate the parties in accepting the terms of this adjudication."

Meanwhile, there was better news for Cork with the announcement that Conor Counihan had been chosen to step into the vacancy created by Teddy Holland's dismissal on Monday night,

Counihan, twice an All-Ireland winner and All Star in 1989 and '90, has previous experience as a selector having served with both Billy Morgan and Larry Tompkins in the 1990s.

As defensive coach to Tompkins' 1999 team, he built a defence that took Cork to a National Football League title, the All-Ireland final and won two All Stars.

He was appointed hours after Holland's dismissal on Monday night by the county executive, who had been given plenary powers of appointment.

Speaking on Off the Ball on Newstalk 106 last night, Counihan referred to the controversy that had preceded his appointment. "I have sympathy for everyone involved. It's a difficult time, difficult circumstances. I'm under no illusions that people were very divided on this issue but once this team gets back out on the field, Cork people are Cork people at end of the day; they support Cork."

Asked about the CCCC decision he was fatalistic. "Look, I suppose it's something that's outside of our control. I can understand some of the sentiments from the counties involved. Some of the other counties now are coming out at a disadvantage with this. We have to accept whatever decisions are put out there."

He also said that he hoped to pick his selectors by next weekend.

Declan O'Sullivan, Kerry's captain last year, is likely to miss the rest of the league as he will be undergoing surgery in the next week, to sort out a cartilage problem in his knee.

After visiting a specialist in Limerick yesterday, O'Sullivan said: "I will not be rushing as it will take the bones of five or six weeks. Again with the history of that knee and the operation I had on it, I would say it will be probably be five or six weeks at a minimum."