THE DONEGAL Intermediate Football Championship semi-final replay between Aodh Ruadh and Cloughaneely has been pencilled in for Wednesday evening.
The replay, after their exciting draw yesterday, has been fixed for Pairc Naomh Mhuire in Convoy at 7.30pm on Wednesday.
Members of the Competitions Controls Committee (CCC) met this evening in Ballybofey after the SFC semi-final double-header to discuss the situation.
Both clubs yesterday expressed hope that the final – scheduled for next weekend – would be pushed back a week to allow the replay take place next weekend, instead of midweek.
“Common sense has to win out,” said the Cloughaneely manager, Michael Lynch, whose team’s quarter-final win over Naomh Colmcille was also a during-the-week game, played last Monday night in Ballybofey.
“It’s not fair on players. When you see boys putting in effort like they put in there, it’s ridiculous to ask them to play on a Wednesday night before a final.”
Aodh Ruadh and Cloughaneely played out a pulsating 0-14 apiece draw at Pairc Taobhoige yesterday evening.
There was nothing to separate them after 80 minutes and St Naul’s, who beat Naomh Brid in the other semi-final at Fintra, were left to wait on their opponents for the final.
Aodh Ruadh, the beaten intermediate finalists in 2018, echoed the comments of Lynch in Glenfin yesterday regarding a possible midweek replay.
“I think after playing after 80 minutes in those conditions, to ask them to go out again on Wednesday night is very unfair,” Aodh Ruadh mentor Philip O’Reilly said.
“Our lads have been training for the last 10 months for this. To ask them out on Wednesday after this and then ask one of the teams to go back out on Sunday is unfair.
“It is making a bit of a joke of the Championship…It should be played next week. It would be ridiculous if it was played on Wednesday night.”
The Donegal Intermediate champions are due to play in the Ulster club championship on November 3.
The Intermediate final will now go ahead as planned next Sunday.
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