The row between Na Fianna and the Dublin County Board was still unresolved yesterday after a further exchange of letters. Unless last-ditch diplomatic manoeuvres are successful the matter is heading for either a clichéd denouement on the steps of the Four Courts or a full hearing that mightn't take place for another month.

At the heart of the dispute is the expulsion of Na Fianna from the Dublin county championship on the grounds that they used too many players in the quarter-final against Raheny. The club sought and obtained an interlocutory injunction, which has prevented Raheny playing UCD in the outstanding semi-final.

Moves towards arbitration were made at Monday night's meeting of the county committee but agreement on a precise format has proved elusive. The Dublin board has arranged for the GAA's Disputes Committee to be on standby but Na Fianna are understood to be unwilling to submit to arbitration before any officially constituted body of the association and are looking for an ad hoc panel composed of GAA members nominated by the parties plus an agreed chairperson.

Not surprisingly Dublin aren't keen on this, as a GAA county board can hardly be seen to negotiate around the rules of the association and the board's duty to uphold the rules was again emphasised yesterday.

Even the GAA's Disputes Committee isn't an ideal vehicle for the resolution of the matter. Two of its members, Frank Murphy of Cork and National Referees Committee chairman Down's Dan McCartan will step aside should the committee be pressed into action. Murphy formulated the argument whereby Cork successfully evaded sanction for committing the same offence in last July's Munster final whereas McCartan was on Central Council when that body distanced itself from the Munster decision.

Otherwise Na Fianna, according to a spokesperson John Quinn,speaking on RTE radio yesterday, were hoping to have the match with Raheny replayed.

This is most unlikely to happen. In the past teams that have been granted a forfeit under Rule 109 (the relevant provision in this case) have offered a rematch - as happened Na Fianna last year when they fielded too many players against Sarsfields of Kildare, who then offered the refixture. Aside from the fact that Na Fianna are again the offending team, the GAA's Director General made it clear in his annual report that this device should be discontinued.

Referring to the above case, Liam Mulvihill said: "However, the accommodation allowed to Na Fianna by their opponents and by the Leinster Council cannot be repeated and offenders will have to pay for their mistakes in the future".