Galbally Pearses appeal Tyrone SFC result following cancelled point

NO SCORE: The Tyrone senior football championship threatens to be held up as Galbally Pearses have appealed their first round result concerning a rescinded score. Pic: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE.

The Tyrone senior football championship threatens to be held up as Galbally Pearses have appealed their first round result concerning a rescinded score.

Ronan Nugent’s second-half point against Trillick in Carrickmore on Saturday was cancelled after a linesman brought referee Michael Conroy’s attention to a foul in the build-up to the score, which put Galbally seven points up in the 48th minute.

Conroy booked the Galbally player Cormaic Donaghy, and after the score was voided the game was restarted from where the infringement took place. It would have put Galbally seven points up, 3-8 to 0-10, and the club claim that as the referee noted the point before the booking that it should have stood.

Trillick scored nine of the last 10 scores to prevail by 0-19 to 3-9 and they are due to face Errigal Ciarán in the quarter-final stages.

That the referee’s decision is final as stated in the playing rules of the GAA’s Official Guide and Conroy recommenced the game with a free to Trillick having overruled the score may be sufficient for the result to stand.

However, Galbally believe they have a good case as Conroy noted the score. Their statement on Saturday read: “Out of courtesy ahead of the draw for the quarter-finals of the Tyrone Senior Championship following this evening’s game in O’Neill’s Healy Park, the County Chairperson and the Secretary of The CCC (competitions control committee) have been informed that Galbally Pearses will be lodging an objection to the outcome of their first round fixture against Trillick in Páirc Colmcille, An Charring Mhór on Saturday afternoon.” 

Games in Cork and Fermanagh were among those ordered to be replayed last year. A scoreboard error in the opening Aghada-Kildorrery intermediate A hurling group game meant the draw was deemed null and void.

A score had been awarded to Kildorrery when it should have been given to Aghada. The game didn’t take place in the end as Aghada won their next two games to top the table to qualify and the original result was allowed to stand.

In Fermanagh, the 2025 Division 1 final between Derrygonnelly Harps and Erne Gaels took place a second time after a couple of two-point scores were erroneously awarded to Derrygonnelly, who finished two points ahead.

However, the county board later reversed their decision to order a replay and the title remained with Harps despite protests by Erne Gaels, who had defeated Derrygonnelly in a final replay to win the senior county championship.