GAA:Derry's James Conway has been handed a 48-week ban by the county board after the Ballinderry clubman was in front of last night's hearing to give his version of events regarding the off-the-ball incident that left Kilrea's James Kielt with a fractured jaw.
Conway was originally handed an eight-week ban for the punch-up during the June 7th club match.
The referee on the day missed the incident but the Derry club champions were later instructed to provide the name of the player involved.
However an appeals hearing was forced to overturn the suspension due to lack of evidence in the referee’s report or information coming from the Ballinderry club.
In the latest twist, Conway’s case was referred back to the county board and after last night’s hearing they imposed the 48-week ban.
The Derry county board also previously banned two Ballinderry officials for six months for failing to co-operate and supply the player’s name but those bans have since been reduced to three months.
Ballinderry are banned from all adult competitions for three months, which means the reigning Derry champions are unable to defend their title.