by Orla Bannon

The Ulster Council is set to investigate Saturday night's ill-disciplined club quarter-final between Coalisland and Crossmaglen Rangers.

Both teams finished the provincial club quarter-final clash with 13 players, while a steward was also knocked over in the Athletic Grounds.

However it is the scale of sledging that occurred which will be scrutinised most.

Coalisland's Eoghan Hampsey picked up a straight red card for what's believed to have been dissent while team-mate Brian Toner plus Cross pair Callum Cumiskey and Johnny Hannratty were sent-off for reckless second yellow card offences.

However there were numerous sledging incidents easily heard by some spectators in the 7,637 crowd in Armagh with Monaghan referee Martin McNally, his umpires and linesmen also subjected to repeated verbals during the dour battle, won by Crossmaglen by three points.

The referee's report was due to be submitted and discussed at last night's scheduled Ulster Council meeting.

Severe sanctions are anticipated, especially given the Ulster's Council's warning to clubs at the launch of the club championships in Slaughtneil several weeks ago.

Speaking at the launch, Ulster Council PRO Michael Geoghegan said: “the message is there's no place for violence in our games”.

“We want to relaunch that message, that is in our strategic plan, to the participating teams ahead of the Ulster club championships.

“There's no place for violence in our games and we're going to come down heavy on it.”

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