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NFL final can go ahead at Croke Park

This year's National Football League final can go ahead at Croke Park if the GAA decides to stage it there

Fri Mar 16 2007 - 00:00

This year's National Football League final can go ahead at Croke Park if the GAA decides to stage it there.  Seán Moranreports

The announcement from headquarters yesterday that maintenance work on the pitch would begin on April 23rd, the day after the scheduled date of the NFL final.

It ends a few weeks of speculation that the venue wouldn't be available because of the work, which will be completed in time for the May 20th Leinster championship double bill of Louth against Wicklow and Meath versus Kildare.

The hurling equivalent is scheduled for the following weekend and so could not be played in Croke Park but the NHL decider has only been played there once in the past 16 years so its absence this year is unlikely to prove contentious.

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According to stadium director Peter McKenna the work on the pitch is routine and intended to address problems that hurlers have experienced on the surface.

"There had been hurling complaints that the pitch wasn't performing to the standard they'd expect. We have to address that and eliminate the conditions that contribute to those difficulties. Hurling is a faster game with different balance involved and at the moment it's not 100 per cent for them; it's less of an issue for footballers."

Meanwhile, Waterford have decided to go again with the team that recorded last weekend's win over Munster rivals Cork to face Clare in Ennis on Sunday.

The side differs from the one selected a week ago but the same as the one that started. This means that there is no starting role for John Mullane, who had been thought a possible selection after recovering from injury.

Wexford have announced the team to face Offaly at the weekend. It features Dermot Flynn in goal as regular goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry is unavailable for the match.

The side also sees the return of Diarmuid "Gizzy" Lyng from injury and he starts at centrefield.

Jim McGovern, author of Coming of Age in Wexford GAA, will tonight donate the profits of the book, €22,000, to his club, Glynn-Barntown, and school, St Mary's CBS, Enniscorthy.

The presentation will take place at the club.

WATERFORD (NHL v Clare):C Hennessy; E Murphy, D Prendergast, A Kearney; J Murray, K McGrath, J Kennedy; M Walsh, E McGrath; D Shanahan, S Prendergast, E Kelly; C Carey, K Moran, B Mullane.

WEXFORD (NHL v Offaly):D Flynn; M Travers, D O'Connor, P Roche; W Doran, K Rossiter, C Kenny; S Nolan, D Lyng; M Jacob, E Quigley, S Banville; P Carley, R Kehoe, R Jacob.