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Sporting in line for major points bonus
Sporting Fingal could be on course for a 3-0 victory this week and that is before they even face Finn Harps in Morton Stadium on Friday night.
A controversy has arisen out of the opening league game of the season following the emergence that Waterford United fielded a player who had been sent off the previous week in a Munster Senior Cup tie.
The player in question, Kieran Fitzgerald, was introduced as a sub for Waterford United in the 57th minute of the league game against Sporting Fingal, which was played in the RSC on March 7th.
Waterford scored their opening goal in the 87th minute while Sporting equalised through Philip Byrne just one minute later.
Fitzgerald was sprung from the bench just 12 minutes into the second half when the game was still scoreless and so had quite a significant contribution to proceedings.
According to section 113 of the official rulebook there are specific guidelines for dealing with suspensions pertaining to league and FAI cup games. However, where a player has been sent off in any other official FAI competition then he must serve his suspension in the next available fixture.
In this case the next fixture was the league game with Sporting Fingal in which Fitzgerald made an appearance.
When contacted about the incident the communications department of the FAI stated that the matter had now been referred to the Disciplinary Commission of the body.
'As the matter is now with this body, the FAI cannot make any further comment at this time,' stated Eoghan Rice of the FAI.
The disciplinary commission will now meet tomorrow night ( Wednesday) in Abbotstown to discuss the matter and if they find that Fitzgerald should have been suspended for the Sporting game then the Fingal side could have the three points awarded to them as well as a mandatory 3-0 scoreline.
While aware of the matter Sporting Fingal's club secretary John O'Brien was steering clear of any discussion on the topic. 'As far as we are concerned this is a matter for the Disciplinary Commission and Waterford United and our focus is purely on the field of play,' remarked O'Brien.