McGrath relieved to get minimum suspension

THERE was a palpable sense of relief in Waterford yesterday at the one month suspension handed down to Allstar Ken McGrath.

The Mount Sion man received a straight red card, along with Galway’s Diarmuid Cloonan, during the recent NHL game, and there were fears that both players would receive more than the minimum ban.

McGrath and Cloonan were given personal hearings at Wednesday night’s GAC meeting in Croke Park and

McGrath produced a videotape of the first-half sending-off incident.

“I firmly believed the video evidence would exonerate me”, said a relieved McGrath yesterday.

“Clearly the members of the GAC saw it the same way and I am happy that I was given such a fair hearing.”

McGrath will now miss just one of Waterford’s three games in phase two of the NHL which commence on April 13.

Had the worst come to the worst and McGrath was sidelined for three months the repercussions for the county team would have been severe. Not only would he have missed Waterford’s remaining league games against Limerick, Derry, and Offaly but he would also have missed the first round Munster championship game against Kerry on May 18, the June 1 semi-final against Limerick had they qualified for it, and the first round of the championship qualifiers if they lost to the Shannonsiders.

McGrath is now eligible to return to action on April 20, which means he misses just the league game against Limerick (in Kilmallock) on April 13 in addition to last weekend’s win against Clare at Walsh Park.

County secretary Seamus Grant said that he was present at the game in which McGrath and Cloonan each received a straight red card and his immediate reaction to the referee’s decision was one of disbelief.

“I honestly believe that even a yellow card would have been an injustice. I cannot now express how relieved I am that both players have avoided a three month ban”, he said.

There were also four-week suspensions handed out to hurlers Darren Stamp of Wexford, who was sent off on March 16 against Tipperary, and Charlie Keena of Meath, sent off on March 22 against Longford.

Louth’s Paul Sharkey (sent off against Fermanagh on March 2) and Kerry’s Paul McCarthy (sent off against Meath on March 16) were both suspended for 12 weeks from the dates of those games.

In football, Sean Davey (Sligo), Mark Stanfield (Louth) and Colm Foody (London) were all suspended for four weeks, while London’s Martin Donaghy was suspended for 12 weeks having been sent off against Leitrim in Ruislip on March 23.

The decision on the Kildare v Sligo NFL game was deferred to the next GAC meeting. Sligo have agreed to give the Lilywhites a re-fixture.