Oisin McConville’s Dundalk IT team have withdrawn from Trench cup final on player welfare grounds

"We feel it is the best decision on the grounds of player welfare."

Dundalk IT should have been preparing for the Trench Cup final tonight in Carlow, but due to player welfare concerns, they have had to withdraw from the competition. DkIT qualified for the decider on Wednesday and requested that the final be put back due to nine of their players’ involvement in National League panels over the weekend. However, the Higher Education Authority (HEA), had reviewed the appeal and decided to reject it. This resulted in DkIT, who are managed by Armagh and Crossmaglen legend, Oisin McConville, to pull themselves from the tournament. In a statement sent to the HEA, DkIT said: “After consulting with our players, we have decided that we won’t be in a position to field in tomorrow’s Trench Cup final.

“This is disappointing for our management and players but we feel it is the best decision on the grounds of player welfare.

“We were faced with travelling down to Carlow without up to nine players or asking our county players to play three games in four days. “Although we could have fielded a team and brought some junior players, we, and the players, feel this would do the college and the competition a disservice.

“We’re sorry that it has come to this but this was a decision from the players and we completely agreed with them in this regard.

“We thank you for your efforts in what is an extremely difficult job and we just hope that in future years the colleges’ weekend doesn’t coincide with National League games.”