Offaly will be without full forward Roy Malone until mid-August after the GAA's Games Administration Committee confirmed his eight-week suspension arising from the Leinster semi-final replay with Kildare.
Malone had been reported for verbal abuse on Tipperary referee Paddy Russell at the conclusion of the game on June 22nd, which Kildare had just won by a point after extra time. After appearing before the GAC on Wednesday night the Offaly player was informed yesterday that the offence would stand, and with it the eight-week suspension.
It means that Malone will miss tomorrow's round two qualifier against Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds, and will remain out of action until August 17th. The only chance he has of seeing any further championship action this season is if Offaly progress to the All-Ireland semi-finals.
Fellow Offaly player James Grennan had also been summoned before the GAC for his involvement in the incident with the referee at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny but no suspension was imposed following his personal clarification.
It is understood that Malone, who had been substituted in normal time, was objecting to the referee's failure to properly indicate the amount of time left to play. Offaly were two points down in the closing moments when they were awarded a free.
After apparently being told that it wasn't the last kick of the match, Colm Quinn decided to take a point rather than chance a goal effort, but following the kick-out Russell blew up for time.
Seán Grennan was sent off earlier in the game but that was confirmed to be the consequence of two yellow cards and he is free to play in tomorrow's qualifier.
Veteran Vinnie Claffey fills the vacancy on the Offaly team. He will start at left full forward with Pascal Kellaghan switching to the right corner.
Malone's place at full forward has been filled by switching Neville Coughlan from the right wing, with Colm Quinn moving out from the corner to fill his customary position at right half forward.
Further disciplinary decisions announced yesterday involved Brian Considine of Clare and Kevin Mulryan of Tipperary, who received four-week suspensions dating from the Munster football semi-final replay on June 16th.
Seán Byrnes of Fermanagh was suspended for four weeks from June 9th after being sent off in the game against Armagh and Robert Foley of Carlow received two weeks suspension from June 30th.
Donegal will start Sunday's Ulster football final against Armagh with exactly the same team that defeated Derry in the semi-final last month. Manager Mickey Moran was satisfied last night that full forward Brendan Devenney has regained full fitness following last month's car crash.
Kerry make just one change for their round three qualifier against Fermanagh in Portlaoise tomorrow evening. Liam Hassett returns to the starting line-up and replaces Noel Kennelly at left half forward. It means there is still no place for John Crowley who must be content with a place among the substitutes, while Colm Cooper is fit to start at corner forward despite suffering from an arm injury.
Tyrone have named an unchanged team for tomorrow's qualifier against Derry at Casement Park.
Ciaran Gourley and Declan McCrossan were late injury withdrawals at Carrick-on-Shannon last weekend, but Cormac McGinley and Gerard Cavlan, who deputised at centre back and left half forward in the big win over Leitrim, are retained.
Teenager John Devine, a late call-up last week for his debut, starts again in goal, with Cormac McAnallen again at centre forward.Kevin Hughes has recovered from an ankle ligament injury, but fails to make the starting line-up.
The GAC announced yesterday that the All-Ireland hurling qualifier between Clare and either Kilkenny or Wexford (the losers of Sunday's Leinster final) has been rescheduled for Portlaoise on Sunday, July 14th, with an evening throw-in at 6.30. The game had previously been set for Saturday, July 20th.
The rescheduling means that the trio of round three qualifying games will be played on the weekend after next: Tipperary-Offaly in Portlaoise on Saturday evening (6.15) and Cork-Galway in Thurles (4.20) and Clare-Kilkenny/Wexford in Portlaoise (6.30) on the Sunday.
DONEGAL: (SF v Armagh): T Blake; S Carr, M Crossan, N McGinley; R Sweeney, B Monaghan, K Cassidy; J Gildea, J McGuinness; C Toye, M Hegarty, B Roper; A Sweeney, B Devenney, P McGonigle.
KERRY: (SF v Fermanagh): D O'Keeffe; M O'Se, S Moynihan, M McCarthy; T Ó Sé, E Fitzmaurice, J Sheehan; D Ó Sé, D Daly; S O'Sullivan, E Brosnan, L Hassett; M F Russell, D Ó Cinnéide, C Cooper.
OFFALY (SF v Limerick): P Kelly; C Daly, J Kenny, B Mooney; G Rafferty, F Cullen, K Slattery; J Grennan, C McManus; C Quinn, S Grennan, A McNamee; P Kellaghan, N Coughlan, V Claffey.
TYRONE (SF v Derry): J Devine; C Gormley, C Lawn, B Robinson; R McMenamin, C McGinley, P Jordan; J Quinn, C Holmes; B Dooher, C McAnallen, G Cavlan; B McGuigan, S O'Neill, Peter Canavan.
