Barely a day into the New Year and the domestic game is embroiled in another unseemly fixture row.

Despite the league insisting that the rearranged Premier Division game between St Patrick's Athletic and Bohemians goes ahead at Richmond Park tonight (7.45), Bohemians are adamant they will play a previously arranged Leinster Senior Cup, first round tie against Ashtown Villa at Dalymount Park tonight (7.45) instead.

Bohemians' reasoning in refusing to play the league match tonight hangs on the league, according to Bohemians, being in contravention of their "Rule 24" which states a fixture cannot be refixed within 24 hours of the original game being postponed.

Bohemians say they have tried to co-operate by attempting to re-fix the game for three other dates (3rd, 7th and 9th of January), within the 14 day period stipulated.

What Bohemians fail to mention is the fact that with both Kevin Hunt and Stephen Caffrey, their two chief midfield players, suspended putting off the league game again is very much to their benefit. With an FAI Cup match coming up on Friday (against First Division Drogheda United), neither player would thus miss a league game despite acquiring their suspensions in league games.

Ironically, it is worth noting that Bohemians successfully protested against Bray Wanderers prior to last season's FAI Cup semi-final when Bray thought that their striker Jason Byrne had served a one match ban in a Leinster Cup match.

Donal Crowther, the Eircom League's executive secretary, was yesterday adamant the league game must go ahead.