Antrim forward Matthew Fitzpatrick was last night slapped with a 48-week ban by the Central Hearings Committee.

The massive suspension is the latest twist in an unsavoury saga which has been rumbling on for weeks.

The player had initially been suspended for one game for his alleged involvement in an incident at the end of the Saffrons' league clash with Armagh on March 25th.

He successfully appealed that censure on two separate occasions but was brought before the CHC last night as new evidence had apparently been brought to light.

The St John's clubman has been robustly defended by his team-mates (defender Declan Lynch warned at last night's championship press event in Belfast that "they need to show the player a bit of respect") and by the Antrim management team (joint boss Gearoid Adams pointed out last night that "mentally, he's not in a good place because he's okay one minute and the next he's not playing") and the whole saga has caused tremendous tension in the Saffrons camp as they prepare to face Donegal in the Ulster SFC on Sunday.

The players penned a strongly-worded letter hitting out at their own County Board when Fitzpatrick was first cited after the tempestuous Division Three clash as they felt his name should never have been given to disciplinary chiefs in the first place.

It has not yet been revealed why the ban was increased from one game to 48 weeks and it seems almost inevitable that a third appeal will be lodged. This is a row that is refusing to go away.

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