No news on gouging charge for Philly McMahon

Dublin defender Philly McMahon has so far escaped sanction following claims of eye-gouging Kieran Donaghy in the All-Ireland final.

Pundit and former Kerry star Tomas Ó Sé maintained there was a ‘case to be answered’ after McMahon’s left hand came in contact with Donaghy’s face as they grappled for possession.

Dublin GAA chairman Sean Shanley said there’s been no word so far from disciplinary officials, however he doesn’t expect there to be. He revealed his personal belief that McMahon made ‘accidental contact’ with Kingdom captain Donaghy’s face.

All Star certainty McMahon claimed after Dublin’s three-point win over Kerry that, ‘if I did connect with his face, I didn’t intentionally do it’ while veteran Donaghy has stated that ‘what happens on the field stays on the field’.

The Central Competitions Control Committee are under no time pressure to act with the season now over and any ban likely to apply to inter-county activity next year.

“We have heard absolutely nothing and hopefully it will stay that way, I believe that it should,” said Shanley. “I wouldn’t think there’ll be anything happening in that regard.

“Philly was trying to get at the ball and the referee at the time appeared to deem it that way because he threw up the ball. The fact that the ref didn’t even give a free the other way is significant. I don’t think there was anything in it, it was more accidental contact with the face.” Three-time All-Ireland medallist McMahon is expected to be involved on Saturday week when Ballymun Kickhams, the 2012/2013 AIB All-Ireland club finalists, face St Vincent’s, the back to back Dublin senior football champions, in a repeat of the 2013 final.

Meanwhile the search for John Evans’s replacement as Roscommon manager is far from a one-horse race after the selection committee elected to approach a number of candidates for the position.

Former Mayo star Kevin McStay was the only person nominated by the clubs for the role but the Roscommon selection committee have decided to examine other potential candidates.

“Since the selection committee was ratified they were given the brief to identify potential candidates and to interview any interested parties,” said a spokesperson for the Roscommon County Board.

Former Roscommon U-21 manager Nigel Dineen, DCU manager Niall Moyna, ex-Offaly boss Gerry Fahey and former Kildare boss Jason Ryan were all linked to the position three years ago and are expected to be sounded out as to their interest once again.