Nemo and Crokes await final decision on pitch

MUNSTER Council GAA chiefs will inspect two pitches this morning ahead of Sunday’s Munster club SFC final between Nemo Rangers and Dr Crokes.

The decider is fixed for Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds, with Mallow on standby if the first choice field is deemed unplayable.

Munster Council PRO Jim Forbes explained: “We will inspect the pitches first thing in the morning and hope to have news by noon. The overnight weather conditions are not good so it is a case of wait and see. Mallow remains on standby and we will make our decision after looking at both pitches.”

If both grounds are unable to host the game, the senior decider will be played in the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday, December 12 with Mallow hosting the provincial junior hurling and football showdowns.

Meanwhile the two Leinster senior club finals have been postponed until Sunday, December 12, while the Ulster football decider is also likely to be pushed back a week as the cold snap continues to take its toll.

The Leinster SHC decider between O’Loughlin Gaels and Oulart-The-Ballagh is now on its third date having already been deferred from last Sunday by the snow and frost.

The football final between Kilmacud Crokes and Rhode is now also pushed back a week and the decision will be welcomed by the Dublin champions, as the deferral means that centre-back Adrian Morrissey will be available again having served a four-week suspension following a controversial sending off in a league game.

The junior and special junior hurling deciders have also been postponed, making it a full programme for Leinster next week, with the intermediate and junior football finals also scheduled.

A decision on the Ulster senior, intermediate and junior football finals will be made following an inspection of the Clones and Kingspan Breffni Park pitches today.

The senior decider between Crossmaglen and Naomh Conail is part of a planned double-header with the junior final at Clones on Sunday, while the intermediate final is slated for Saturday night at Cavan’s headquarters.

Moving the fixtures back a week is an option but “no decision has been made on that yet”.

Meanwhile both the Tesco Club Championship finals fixed for the weekend are off. Caltra Cuans (Galway) v Omagh St Enda’s (Tyrone) were to play the junior decider in Mullahoran (Cavan) tomorrow while the senior clash between Carnacon (Mayo) and Inch Rovers (Cork) was due for Banagher tomorrow.