Inside Track with John McIntyre

GALWAY County Board officials will be keeping their fingers crossed over the next few days that senior hurling clubs Killimor and Kilconieron don’t lodge appeals over the new scoring difference rule which is causing controversy up and down the country.

Already, there have been objections in Offaly, Clare and Meath over the amendment to Rule 6.21 at this year’s GAA Congress which now sees three or more teams finishing on equal points having their fate – qualification or relegation – decided by scoring difference only in matches between the clubs involved.

The potential for a major hold-up in the Galway hurling championship is bound to spook officials as both Killimor and Kilconieron assess their response to finishing up in relegation in Senior B and Senior A respectively. Under the old system where the scoring difference in all group matches applied, both teams would have ended up in preliminary quarter-finals.

Compounding Killimor’s and Kilconieron’s sense of grievance is that they both have beaten teams who ended up on the same number of points in their respective groups but are now through to the knock-out stages – Killimor having overcome Beagh and Kilconieron getting the better of Moycullen.

Adding to the overall sense of confusion is that counties like Cork and Meath are still operating under the old rule where the scoring difference in all group matches is taken into account, but Galway adopted the rule amendment and insist clubs have been given ample notice about this fundamental change.

Reference to this scenario was made when all clubs were circulated with the fixtures Master Plan ahead of the championship, while on the Sunday before the various hurling title races started, club officials were invited to a meeting in the Lough Rea Hotel where there was confirmation of the rule change. Prior to the final round of group matches last weekend, clubs were again circulated in relation to the new scoring difference rule.

Pictured: Pearses’ Conor Fahey gets his pass away against Ronan Egan of Killimor during Saturday’s Senior B Hurling Championship clash in Loughrea. Photo: David Cunniffe.