Marsden free to play following appeal against sending off

ARMAGH forward Diarmuid Marsden, controversially sent off by Brian White in the Bank of Ireland SFC final against Tyrone, will be free to play in next year’s opening round after having been exonerated by the Central Council at the weekend.

Marsden successfully appealed his month’s suspension, after earlier failing to have it overturned by the GAC, when delegates accepted the case made by Council delegate Gene Duffy and team manager Joe Kernan.

Marsden, who protested his innocence over the second half incident involving Tyrone defender Philip Jordan, insisted that his sole priority in lodging the appeal was ‘to clear his name.’

Admitting to a ‘feeling of relief’ after the meeting, he commented: “thankfully I got the chance to appeal it. In my opinion justice was done.

“I know I didn’t do anything in the All-Ireland final to merit being sent off. The Tyrone defender came at me. I had my back to him at the time but I saw him out of the corner of my eye. My instinctive reaction was to put my hands up and stand back.”

Without actually naming the player, Marsden again denied that he had struck him. “I certainly didn’t hit anyone and it was proven at the meeting.

“I don’t want to be remembered as the only Armagh man ever to be sent off in a final. It’s not nice being sent off at any time, because I have never in 109 games for the county been sent off. It’s just not my game.

On that particular day, in front of 80,000 people it was certainly a low point. As to whether it had an effect on the result or not is not worth debating. It’s Tyrone All-Ireland title and they won it.

“We just want to move on to next year and this decision will help me.”