Latest ruling says Mayo GAA's disputed two-pointer was 'recorded correctly'

THE two-point saga which gripped Mayo football took a further twist last night when Connacht GAA made a ruling on the issue. The provincial Hearings Committee deemed that an appeal taken by Hollymount Carramore to a decision made by Mayo GAA had been lost.

That decision leaves the club from St Coman's Park with a big decision to make. Do they acept the rulings of Mayo GAA and Connacht GAA or do they refer the issue to the GAA's Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA)?

On Friday, Spetember 5, Hollymount Carramore and Kilmaine drew their intermediate championship clash in Garrymore. The result knocked out Hollymount Carramore and sent Kilmaine into the quarter-finals.

Subsequently, Hollymount Carramore objected to the result, stating that a kick from Kilmaine's Kevin Mullin after 28 minutes was clearly a one-point score, but recorded as a two-pointer by the referee Declan Corcoran. Mayo GAA TV footage seemed to back up this assertion.

The referee submitted his match report saying the game ended in a draw, however, he also emailed Mayo GAA stating: In the 28-29 minute of the first half of this game I awarded a 2 pointer to Kilmaine. On reviewing Mayo GAA TV footage I'm acknowledging that I made a mistake and it should have been a 1 pointer to Kilmaine instead of a 2 pointer, as the player was inside the 40m arc at the time he kicked the ball.

A hearing by Mayo GAA's Competition Controls Committee dismissed Hollymount Carramore's objection last Thursday night, stating: "We are satisfied that the score he (referee, Declan Corcoran) allowed was recorded correctly in accordance with rule 7.5 n (ii).

Hollymount Carramore appealed that decision to Connacht GAA and that hearing was held last night (Wednesday). Subsequently, a detailed ruling was issued stating that the appeal had been lost.

The ruling found that there had been no misapplication of a rule by Mayo GAA.

However, it also agreed that the score in question was hit from inside the two-point arc.

“It is accepted at both the objection and appeal hearings by all parties that the score which has resulted in this dispute was kicked by the player from a position inside the 40m arc, it was also accepted at this appeal hearing that the referee clearly signalled he was awarding a two-point score and the umpire ultimately signalled this subsequently by raising an orange flag.

The ruling goes on to state that: the two-point score was awarded by the match referee. The two-point score was recorded by the match referee and accounted for in the referee's report as submitted to CCC Maigh Eo.”

In regard to the referee saying he watched the game subsequently and realised he had made a mistakes, Connacht GAA said 'there is no provision in the rules' for such an action.

The report found that CCC Mhaigh Eo did not misapply any rules in arriving at its decision as communicated to all parties having taken into consideration what is stated above at 7.5(n)(ii).

The report concluded with acknowledgement of the 'respectful manner in which the appeal hearing was conducted by all parties.'