DUBLIN’S DIARMUID CONNOLLY looks set to miss Saturday’s All-Ireland Football semi-final replay against Mayo after losing a second appeal against the red card he received in last weekend’s drawn game.
The dismissal carries a one-game ban but Connolly initially tried to appeal through the Central Hearings Committee and was unsuccessful before going before the GAA’s Central Appeals Committee last night, desperately trying to over-turn the suspension.
However, after an exhausting meeting at Croke Park that ran into the early hours of Friday morning, the 28-year-old’s appeal failed.
Still, there is still one more avenue that both Connolly and Dublin can pursue and have the option of putting his case to the Disputes Resolution Authority.
Connolly was one of Dublin’s standout performers in the drawn game, scoring 1-2, but was sent off in the final minutes for striking Lee Keegan.
The two tangled off the ball and Connolly was seen to hit Keegan before they were separated.