Late-night backroom drama involving Clare's hurlers continued last night when Croke Park rejected the appeal to cut short the three-month suspension of midfielder Colin Lynch.

A brief statement, issued by the Management Committee, read: "The appeal failed but the player has a right to ask the Munster Council to reconsider the charge made against him and the penalty imposed."

GAA PRO Danny Lynch said Lynch would be free to make the approach at any time but he could not speculate on whether the Munster body might be likely to meet to discuss the issue before Saturday's replay. The decision will throw Clare's preparation - already overshadowed by injury - into turmoil.

Clare, who trained last night, were hoping to name a team, but delayed selection pending the outcome of Lynch's appeal. He received three months after he was deemed guilty of striking in the Munster final replay but it was widely anticipated that last night's appeal might prompt a reprieve from Croke Park in light of recent events.

During last Saturday's match, two Offaly players - Johnny Pilkington and Michael Duignan - escaped unpunished despite committing serious offences which might well have merited the same sentence as Lynch is now serving. Clare did not lodge a protest and also accepted Croke Park's decision to replay the match - after referee Jimmy Cooney blew it up two minutes before time - with extreme grace.

Clare's magnanimity did much to quell the hostility towards them since the ill-tempered Munster final replay.

Clare had hoped that Lynch's return might balance the injuries to the influential central figures of Ollie Baker and Anthony Daly.