Fay banned as Savage escapes

GAELIC GAMES/News Round-Up: Meath full back Darren Fay will play no further part in his side's National Football League campaign after receiving a 12-week suspension from the GAA's Games Administration Committee (GAC).

Fay was sent off midway through the second half of the match with Monaghan on Sunday.

There was better news for Galway forward Derek Savage, who was sent off in Sunday's league game against Donegal after a tussle with Eamonn Doherty. He has been cleared following a personal hearing before the GAC.

Savage's appeal was heard in Croke Park on Wednesday night and after viewing video evidence produced by Galway, the GAC decided the action did not warrant a sending-off. He is thus cleared to play in Sunday's game against Cork in Tuam.

Longford's Paul Barden and Wexford's Pat Forde each received four-week suspensions arising out of their league game on February 10th in Enniscorthy. Down's Sean Ward, sent off against Sligo at Markievicz Park on February 17th, also received a four-week suspension.

Cleared from any wrong-doing in that game, however, were Down's Gregory McCartan and Gerry McGovern of Sligo, who were also red-carded by Limerick referee Michael Ryan.

Elsewhere, Paul Brewster of Fermanagh was suspended for four weeks having been red-carded in his county's game against Cavan at Breffni Park on February 17th.

The GAC have also confirmed the rearranged dates for last Sunday's postponed National Hurling League games that fell foul of the weather. The games between Dublin and Galway (Parnell Park), Offaly and Tipperary (Birr) and Westmeath and Kildare (Mullingar) will take place on Saturday, March 30th at 2.30 p.m.

But there was still no decision on the controversy surrounding last month's drawn Kildare-Sligo football league match, where Kildare ended up using six substitutes in the belief that two of them were blood replacements. The GAC will make a decision only after they feel enough information has been gathered.

Meanwhile, Dublin football manager Tommy Lyons has two vacancies in his team to play Westmeath in Parnell Park on Sunday. There is no place for Dublin's outstanding player last Saturday against Offaly, Jonathon Magee.

Darren Homan returns from his calf injury but a vacancy has been left beside him at centrefield. Shane Ryan returns in attack, while the second vacancy is at right full forward as Lyons awaits news on Alan Brogan's game with the under-21s, who play Carlow on Saturday in the first round of the Leinster championship.

Two changes have been made to the Kildare team to play Fermanagh on Sunday in Enniskillen. Brian Moylan replaces his Sarsfields clubmate Stuart McKenzie-Smith, who was ruled out because of a shoulder injury.

Kenny Duane will start at corner back instead of wing back in place of Padraig Mullarkey while Micheal Wright, who came on as a substitute against Cavan is retained at left half back.

Colin Holmes has been drafted into the Tyrone defence to replace suspended Sean Teague for Sunday's league meeting against Donegal at Ballybofey.

DUBLIN (SF v Westmeath): S Cluxton; D Henry, P Andrews, C Goggins; M Casey, D Darcy, P Curran; D Homan, AN Other; C Whelan, S Ryan, E Bennis; AN Other, J McNally, R Cosgrove.

DUBLIN (U-21F v Carlow): S Cluxton; N Kane, D Corcoran, D Murray; P Casey, B Cullen, B Cahill; D Magee, C Murphy; K Devine, S Walsh, L Og O hEineachain; A Brogan, G Smith, T Quinn.

KILDARE (v Fermanagh): E Murphy; K Duane, R Quinn, K Doyle; T Harris, A Rainbow, M Wright; K Brennan, A Harris; P Murray, K O'Dwyer, B Moylan; T Fennin, L Donlon, D McCormack.

LIMERICK (SF v. Kerry): S O'Donnell, S Lavin, D Sheehy, T Stack, C Mullane, S Lucey, D Reidy, J Galvin, J Quane, S Kelly, M Gavin, P Ahern, M Reidy, J Stokes, C Hickey.

TYRONE (SF v Donegal): P Ward; C Gormley, C Lawn, B Robinson; R McMenamin, C Holmes, D McCrossan; C McAnallen, J Quinn; B Dooher, S O'Neill, G Cavlan; P Canavan, K Hughes, B McGuckin.

WEXFORD (SH v Kilkenny): M White; R Mallon, D Ryan, M Travers; T Kelly, E Doyle, L Dunne; D O'Brien, M O'Leary; R McCarthy, D Caulfield, D Stamp; B Redmond, G Laffan, B Lambert.