Wexford appeal camogie semi-final result

The Camogie Association is again mired in controversy following the decision of Wexford top-brass to appeal the result of last Saturday’s All-Ireland semi-final.

Galway scored a 1-14 to 2-10 victory at Nowlan Park, with Niamh McGrath landing the winner six and a half minutes into second-half stoppages.

The Wexford Camogie Board are contesting the result on two counts, firstly their contention that the referee did not consult both umpires when ruling wide Kate Kelly’s 16th minute 45.

The umpire on whose side the sliotar fell went to signal a wide ball, but dropped his arms when his counterpart grabbed the white flag before dropping it again. Referee Cathal Egan did not move inside the 14-metre line in overruling the latter.

Under rule 41.5, a referee can’t overrule the decision of both umpires and the Wexford board believe video evidence shows Kelly’s strike was between the posts.

Wexford officials have also taken umbrage with the amount of second-half injury-time played. Having awarded four minutes, the Cork official played six and a half minutes — Galway centre-forward McGrath shooting the winner right at the death. The sides were deadlocked at the end of the prescribed four minutes.

“When it is taken away last gasp, six and a half a minutes into injury time, that is what is really hard to take,” said Wexford manager Colm McGee after the game.

“Following a meeting of the executive committee of Wexford county camogie board with senior management on Monday night, a decision was reached to lodge an objection to the awarding of the senior semi-final played against Galway on Saturday, August 15,” read the Wexford statement.

The appeal has been lodged with the Camogie Association’s National Transfers Hearings and Disciplinary Committee (NTHDC).

The NTHDC have seven days to initiate a hearing once they deem the objection to have been properly submitted.

A Wexford official last night said they’re not sure if their objection would even be heard, but were determined to put on record their frustration.

Wexford’s objection again shines the spotlight on the Camogie Association, arriving in the wake of last month’s coin-toss farce and the scheduling controversy in mid-May which saw three Cork dual players asked to play a Munster final and replayed national league final within four hours of each other.