BALLINCOLLIG’S CORK PREMIER Senior Football Championship quarter-final with Nemo Rangers has been postponed despite the club being cleared to resume both training and matches after one of their players tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this week.

Ballincollig suspended all activity for 48 hours from Wednesday morning as a precautionary measure following the emergence of the positive test. Club activity is due to resume on Friday, beginning with underage.

However, HSE regulations dictate that anyone involved with the club who was deemed a close contact of the positive case must restrict their movements for 10 days (until 26 September), even if they were to test negative for the virus themselves.

This would leave Ballincollig without a number of first-team players for Sunday’s clash with Nemo, which was due to take place at Páirc Uí Rinn.

Instead, a decision has been made by the Cork County Board to postpone the fixture until further notice.

The County Board last Sunday postponed the Senior A Hurling Championship relegation play-off between Killeagh and Kilworth in similar circumstances. That fixture has since been rescheduled for the end of September.

Whoever emerges victorious from the tussle between Ballincollig and Nemo will square off with either Duhallow or Valley Rovers in the PSFC last four, but that semi-final will now likely have to be pushed back from the scheduled date of 26 September. On the other side of the draw, Castlehaven take on Newcestown or St Finbarr’s.

Players who test negative for Covid-19 and haven’t been listed as a close contact of a positive case can return to GAA action 48 hours after their negative result.