Philly McMahon to miss Kerry clash after choosing not to appeal ban
The defender attended a hearing in Croke Park on Monday night, but after the Central Hearings Committee upheld the proposed suspension, the Dublin star chose not to make an application to the Central Appeals Committee.
In the wake of the match, McMahon categorically denied eye-gouging Kieran Donaghy while the Kerry captain himself said he would prefer not to see any action taken as a result of what happened between the pair.
The Central Competitions Control Committee recommended the penalty for McMahon on the basis of reviewing video evidence where his fingers appear to make contact with Donaghy’s face.
Dublin chairman Sean Shanley confirmed to the Irish Examiner that they won’t be taking his case any further.
It means McMahon will now miss Dublin’s clash with Kerry in Croke Park on January 30, as they begin the defence of their Division 1 title.
Shanley explained: “He had a hearing and that’s where we will be leaving it. We felt it was harsh, he was challenging for the ball with the player who was on the ground but we won’t be going any further with it.”
Meanwhile, Meath captain Kevin Reilly yesterday announced his inter-county retirement at the age of 29. Plagued by injuries in recent years, the Navan O’Mahonys man said he was left with no other choice but to step away.
In a statement released through the GPA, he said: “Three surgeries, my back, hip and Achilles tendon, bulging discs, frequent hamstring, quad and hip flexor tears, broken arm, foot, nose, fingers and vertebrae, chronic tendinitis and cartilage damage in knees, shoulders and Achilles tendons have all taken their toll on my body, but it has been the hip injury I suffered in the Leinster final of 2014 that has brought my career to a premature end.”
