Barrett to attend key meetings as GAC dig deeper

Niall Barrett, the Cork referee at the centre of the controversy over last Sunday's Leinster championship opener between Westmeath and Carlow, has been asked to attend the meetings of the Games Administration Committee and the Leinster Council at Croke Park this evening.

Along with Barrett, the GAC have also sent requests to Paddy Collins, the chairman of the National Referee's Association, as well as the referee co-ordinator who outlined the rules to the referee, all of which underlines the GAA's determination to find a swift and satisfactory conclusion to the matter.

Barrett's decision to issue 20 cards, including four red cards to Carlow and two to Westmeath, resulted in major confusion as to how he interpreted the rules and brought about Carlow's appeal to the Leinster Council to have the game declared void and be replayed. It's now known that the GAC will first discuss the referee's report with regard to disciplinary affairs at their meeting, scheduled for 6.30 p.m., and then make a recommendation to the Leinster Council for any other matters in their meeting which follows at 8.30 p.m.

The Westmeath manager Brendan Lowry was yesterday suggesting that a replay would do little to improve the situation. "I said it at the time and I still believe that it was a level playing pitch for both teams that day," he said. "The referee's decisions, whatever way he seemed to interpret them, were even and I don't feel that there was any inconsistency or that either team was treated any differently or more unfairly than the other. Right now we are just preparing for our next game against either Wexford or Longford.

"It's up to the people in their place to make that decision now and whatever the outcome it's obviously out of our hands. I can't comment on that decision until it's made. I think all the players and the supporters were disappointed with the way the match developed but for the moment we are just focusing on the training for the next game."

Lowry also awaits a decision on Rory O'Connell and Kenny Lyons, the two players sent off against Carlow, and any disciplinary action which may be taken against them.

There is added confusion in the matter with the refereeing instructions released by Croke Park during the week which had no reference to the "ticking off" usually issued before the yellow card, an action which appeared to be carried out by referee Noel Cooney of Offaly in the championship game between Wexford and Longford in New Ross the same day.

Meanwhile, Longford manager Michael McCormack has left two vacancies in the team to face Wexford in Sunday's Leinster football preliminary round replay at Pearse Park. The two players in question, defenders Robbie Forbes and Ciaran Keogh, were both substituted in the drawn game by Enda Ledwith and Dessie Barry respectively. With the players still carrying minor injuries, McCormack has postponed a decision as to who will retain the places until after training tonight.