Sport

Delay a boon for Bradley

Ulster SFC Antrim v Derry: Referee Cormac Kelly of Meath made two inspections, 36 minutes apart, before declaring the Casement…

Pat Roche At Casement Park
Mon Jun 04 2007 - 01:00

Ulster SFC Antrim v Derry:Referee Cormac Kelly of Meath made two inspections, 36 minutes apart, before declaring the Casement Park pitch unplayable for the Ulster quarter-final between Derry and Antrim yesterday.

The match will be replayed at the same venue next Sunday (3.30pm) with admission free.

The match was scheduled as the third game on the pitch. But the heavens opened as soon as the minor match started at midday. The hurlers of Antrim and Down contested the Ulster senior final following the minor game and it was obvious throughout, as rain formed pools on the pitch, that the senior football game would be in doubt. Workers tried to clear the small lakes with brushes and forks but to no avail.

Both team managers - Jody Gorman of Antrim and Paddy Crozier of Derry - fully agreed with Kelly's decision in the interest of the players' safety, Crozier making the valid point, "These young men have to go to work tomorrow."

READ MORE

The postponement was a blessing in disguise for Derry's Paddy Bradley, allowing him to get in another week's training. Bradley was on the bench yesterday with his suspension on hold.

Meanwhile, the start of next Sunday's game between Monaghan and Down in Newry has been moved from 3.30pm to 4pm to accommodate a triple bill of hurling, camogie and senior football action.

The first Ulster semi-final, on June 17th between Donegal and Tyrone, has been fixed for Clones with a starting time of 2.15pm.

The venue for the second semi-final, on June 24th, will be fixed at the next meeting of the CCC, on Tuesday week. The curtain-raiser on that day will be the minor semi-final between Monaghan and Derry.

Joe Canning scored 1-11 for Portumna as the 2006 All-Ireland club hurling champions continued their superb start in the Galway championship. Canning hit 0-9 from placed balls and scored a goal as his team beat Carnmore by 1-23 to 1-15 to reach the county quarter-finals.

The 18-year-old prodigy has made known his unwillingness to join Ger Loughnane's Galway senior squad, saying he wants to "live the life of a teenager" for another season.