No decision has yet been made as to whether Cork forward Patrick Horgan will look for a hearing in respect of the red card that ended his involvement in the Munster final against Limerick at the weekend.
Croke Park's Central Competitions Control Committee had not communicated any finding to Cork by yesterday evening and although the recommendation of a one-match suspension is almost certain, no response was forthcoming in advance of word from the CCCC.
“We are still waiting for notice of any disciplinary action and there will be no decision until then,” said Tracey Kennedy, the county PRO. “After that it will be a matter for the player and management and we won’t be saying anything in the meantime.”
The sending-off by referee James McGrath caused controversy as the connection between Horgan’s hurley and the head of Limerick’s Paudie O’Brien looked accidental. The rules on the matter are however clear and state that striking around the head is punishable by a red card.
It has been an offence that referees have been particularly aware of this season after comments by Pat McEnaney, chair of the GAA's National Referees' Committee, in an interview with the Irish Examiner at the end of last year.
“There is a lot of video evidence,” he says, “to suggest there are too many fouls happening around players’ heads like wild pulling and interfering and tapping. Just because all players now wear helmets doesn’t make it right. Anything done in or around the head is a red card offence and that’s something we will be concentrating on in the New Year.”
In the circumstances and given that the blow is clear if not particularly forceful – the player sustained injury when hit by the ball – there may be little point in Cork pursuing the matter.
On the other hand Horgan will miss the All-Ireland quarter-final against Kilkenny if a suspension is handed down and accepted and so the team management of Jimmy Barry-Murphy and his selectors my choose to roll the dice and see if their regular free-taker can somehow be delivered from any punishment.
Finally, Cork have named the team to play Tipperary in tomorrow's Munster under-21 hurling semi-final.
CORK (U21 HC v Tipperary): P Collins; C Spillane, P O'Mahony, D Lester; D O'Mahony, C Joyce (capt.), D Cahalane; B Murray, R O'Shea; J Coughlan, D Lordan, C Lehane; A Cadogan, J Wall, B Hartnett.
