McEniff: ‘It makes a mockery of the whole disciplinary process’

Donegal have been badly wronged and they must use it as motivation - that is the view of 1992 All-Ireland winning Donegal manager Brian McEniff, after it was learned on Tuesday night that Armagh will have all their players available for Sunday's Ulster SFC quarter-final against Donegal in MacCumhaill Park, throw-in 2pm.

The Orchard County had three players cited after a melee broke out at the end of their Allianz League Division 1 final round tie in O'Donnell Park on the last Sunday in March.

Ciaran Mackin, Aidan Nugent and Stefan Campbell were hit with proposed one-match bans, as were Donegal's Odhrán McFadden Ferry and Neil McGee.

Later it emerged that the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) in Croke Park also proposed that Rian O'Neill be suspended for one match for his part in the melee.

Armagh lodged an appeal in all cases while Donegal decided to accept the punishment for McFadden Ferry and McGee. Last week O'Neill, on a technicality over the video used, was freed to play after he appealed his suspension. The other three Armagh players' initial appeal to the Central Hearings' Committee was unsuccessful.

However, they then appealed on behalf of Nugent and Campbell to the Central Appeals Committee and were successful on Tuesday night. No appeal was made for Mackin, who is injured for Sunday's contest in any case.

The Donegal GAA County Board said they had no comment to make on the matter. However, McEniff feels the disciplinary system has punished Donegal.

"It makes a mockery of the whole disciplinary process. In hindsight, you could say that maybe Donegal should have appealed as well," said McEniff. “Donegal have got a raw deal from the process, but we have to channel that anger now and show it in Ballybofey on Sunday.”

McEniff recalled the 2003 All-Ireland quarter-final, where his team shared the spoils with Galway at Croke Park on a 1-11 to 0-14 scoreline at Croke Park, only to learn the replay was fixed for McHale Park.

"I remember back when I was last manager we drew with Galway in Croke Park and then they set the replay for Castlebar and we were not happy,” he added.

“But we used it as motivation. We have to do the same this week. Speaking prior to the successful appeal by the Armagh trio, Donegal manager, Declan Bonner, said "the system is a joke." At that stage it was known that only Rian O'Neill had been cleared.

Donegal will have to field without McFadden Ferry and McGee and Oisin Gallen, who will sit out the game because of injury.