GAELIC FOOTBALL:THE AVAILABILITY of Diarmuid Connolly and Paul Flynn, key components in the Dublin attack, for the All-Ireland football final against Kerry on September 18th looks unlikely. Flynn appeared to tear his hamstring with 13 minutes remaining in Sunday's 0-8 to 0-6 All-Ireland semi-final defeat of Donegal at Croke Park.

“Yes, there would be concern,” said Dublin county board chairman Andy Kettle. “It seemed to be a hamstring injury. By his own reaction when it happened, he did thump the ground with his fist, it would seem to me that he himself felt that it wasn’t good.” The Dublin panel gathers again this evening when the results of Flynn’s scan will be revealed.

The situation with Connolly is, initially at least, more clear-cut as he was shown a straight red card on 58 minutes following an altercation with Donegal’s Marty Boyle. Maurice Deegan’s referee’s report may be irrelevant, however, as it was the intervention of the linesman that prompted the dismissal. A red card carries an automatic four-week, one-match suspension but Kettle confirmed the county board will go through the full appeal process to try and have Connolly exonerated.

“We are awaiting a copy of the referee’s report. Central CCC (competitions control committee) will meet and there will be a proposed suspension. I would suspect that would be a four-week suspension. The system then is the Dublin County Board and Diarmuid will be informed as to whether he wishes to accept or appeal the suspension.

“Having listened to quite a lot of analysts and pundits, I didn’t see the incident, it seemed to have been a harsh decision. If that is the case, we will back Diarmuid fully.”

Bryan Cullen was the second Dublin player on the scene as Connolly was surrounded by several Donegal players. Kettle spoke with him after the match.

“Bryan’s opinion was that it was handbags at dawn. Two players pushing, possibly double yellow card sanction but not, in his opinion, deserving of a red card.”

Should Connolly seek to contest any suspension from the CCCC then he must go before the Central Hearings Committee. There is also an appeals committee and, after that, the Dispute Resolution Authority.

“There would be grounds to challenge it on the basis of natural justice but there would also be grounds to challenge it on the actual video recording of it,” added Kettle.

Kettle also conceded the cost of running inter-county squads in the capital is nearing €2 million.

“That’s just a fact of life. Players are entitled to their expenses, they are entitled to a fair shake. Success, yes, becomes expensive.

“We are very conscious of it being more than last year and we would be looking at perhaps some ideas to see if we can get contributions to the coffers to alleviate what is going to be a substantial bill, there is no doubt about that.”

WICKLOW County Board last night confirmed that Rathnew’s Harry Murphy will succeed Mick O’Dwyer as senior football manager. Murphy has managed Rathnew since 1999 and in that period he has steered them to seven county titles.