In a shocking turn of events, the team who thought they had won a final are not so keen on replaying it.
In fairness to the hurlers of Meath, their position is very, very understandable. They were rank outsiders to beat Antrim in Saturday’s Christy Ring Cup final, so when they were told they did, when they were handed the cup and assured they would be playing in the Leinster SHC next season, they rightly celebrated.
Now, thanks to an error by referee John O’Brien, they are waking up to a fairly gnarly hangover.
Instead of looking forward to a summer of club matches, be it in the Royal County or the United States, the Meath hurlers are being told they must replay the final this Saturday in Newry.
You can’t be surprised they are unhappy at this turn of events, brought about after the media in Croke Park on Saturday realised that O’Brien’s recorded score of Meath 2-18 Antrim 1-20 was incorrect. It should have been Meath 2-17 Antrim 1-20, a draw.
Meath manager Martin Ennis told the Meath Chronicle that he and his players had no intention of “paying the price for the mistake of the GAA”.
The Royals boss was also angry with GAA president Aogan Ó Fearghail, who went on radio Tuesday morning and seemingly preempted the CCCC verdict on the affair by ruling out the promotion of both counties without a replay.
“I’m very disappointed with the decision of the GAA’s CCC to order a replay of the Ring Cup final, effectively putting Antrim and ourselves against each other over a mistake that was of their making,” said Ennis.
“We have no intention of paying the price for the mistake of the GAA. Asking us to replay a game we firmly believe we won last Saturday is very disappointing.
“I’m also very disappointed the GAA president made the comments he made this morning on RTÉ Radio. What was the point of having a CCCC meeting when it already appears as if the decision was already made?”
This one could run and run.
