Face mask foul may be made red card

GAELIC GAMES NEWS:THE GAA'S Central Council meeting on Saturday week will consider the hurling infraction of interfering with an opponent's protective helmet. The sight of players grabbing face guards and using them to attack opponents has come to prominence this season, coincidentally or not just as the wearing of headgear has become mandatory.

In the rule book it is a yellow-card offence, under 5.24 of the playing rules, to pull or take hold of the face guard, but there is a growing determination to penalise the foul more stringently by making it a sending-off matter.

At present there is a concern such red cards could be rescinded on appeal because of the specific intent of the above rule, but authorities in Croke Park are understood to be taking legal advice to see if punishment for the foul could be changed to a red-card by Central Council ruling, pending a motion to next year’s annual congress to make the change permanent.

Meanwhile, Tyrone attacker Tommy McGuigan is a doubt for this weekend’s All-Ireland football quarter-final against Dublin. He has not trained since the Ulster final win over Monaghan, due to severe swelling on a knee.

Surgery may be required to correct the problem, which would rule him out of Saturday’s Croke Park fixture.

McGuigan started the provincial final at full forward in the absence of the injured Stephen O’Neill, but the former Footballer of the Year has resumed training. His damaged heel has responded well to rest, and he is in contention to start this weekend.

And Tyrone’s options have increased with the return of Enda McGinley, who opted out of the squad during the National League in a bid to recover from niggling injuries. The three-time All-Ireland winner is in line to make his first championship appearance of the season.

Elsewhere, in Kerry Aidan O’Mahony looks likely to be recalled to the line-up having left the panel at the end of April for personal reasons. The All-Ireland champions face Down in Saturday’s quarter-final, an historic opportunity for them to record a first win over the Ulster county, which has defeated Kerry four times in the championship since winning a first All-Ireland 50 years ago next September.

Jack O’Connor faces significant problems with the absence through suspension of Paul Galvin and Tomás Ó Sé, whom O’Mahony is expected to replace.

O’Connor is also expected to start with a new midfield pairing as Michael Quirke tries to shake off a calf injury, with speculation David Moran will partner Séamus Scanlon. Darran O’Sullivan, is expected to deputise for Galvin.

Donegal last night ratified Jim McGuinness as the county’s football manager, in succession to John Joe Doherty. McGuinness led the county to this year’s Ulster under-21 title before an agonising defeat by Dublin in the All-Ireland final.