At the time of writing this, it appears that we are going to appeal the result of our Ulster Club quarter-final clash with Errigal Ciaran last Sunday.
As I'm sure everyone is aware by now, the referee booked one of their players twice but failed to send him off.
When I first heard what had happened I was unsure as to whether we should appeal or not. Part of me thought that we had enough chances to win on the day and that we were beaten fair and square. However, after a little more consideration, I feel that we have no option but to appeal. Daisy McDermott, the Errigal player who was booked twice, remained on the field for 24 minutes after receiving his second yellow card. This is a considerable length of time and in a game where only one point was the difference at the finish, having an extra man for practically the entire second half may have swung the balance in our favour.
The referee made the mistake and while I feel sorry for Errigal I also believe that we should not be punished because of his error. We have trained hard and put too much time and effort into the year for it to end in circumstances such as these.
Turning to the match itself, it was a story of both defences being on top. Seven points to six does not represent a fast flowing, open game of football but I think that sometimes we can be too negative when analysing games.
There was some terrific defending by both teams although it must have been frustrating to be a Gaels defender to hold Errigal to seven points and still lose the game.
From a personal point of view, it was a tough afternoon. I came up against somebody who was better than me on the day and, to be honest, I struggled. After missing five weeks through injury after the county final, the sharpness and snap was not present. This is not an excuse but a simple fact. The year 2006 has been a nightmare for me injury wise and there is no way I could continue playing both club and county if the injuries persist.
Full forward can be a lonely place to be when you're not having a good game. When a full-back is getting the better of you, you only have two choices – either hide or keep showing. The first option is the easier to take when on the field but ultimately the harder decision to live with after the game. I tried on Sunday to keep showing for the ball and while I am disappointed with my performance I can at least be satisfied that I kept showing for the ball. That might not be much of a consolation to Gaels fans but for me it is.
To be honest, I am a long way off county standard at present and I have come to the realisation that if I am not able to get fit and regain my sharpness then there is no point in returning to the county set-up. I do not want to be a squad member who is happy with a place on the bench and if I don't think that I can play at county level any more then I won't be afraid to walk away.
I know that the one thing that will not help me regain sharpness is to go back to training immediately. I have written about this in previous columns but one of the biggest problems with the G.A.A. at the moment is the fact that there is no off season. Players roll from club football to county training to county football and back to club football again. There is no other sport in the world where players are asked to play 12 months of the year, year in year out. All this conveyor belt of football does is lead to staleness and injury. After playing eight years of football for the county, I am convinced that an off season or a break of a month is absolutely necessary.
Personally, I have to be selfish about what is best for me at the moment, and slogging around a pitch from now until Christmas is not going to benefit me in the long run. I have been going for over a year non-stop now and need a break. Indeed, looking back at the last few years, I have been at my best in the green when I have been fresh and hungry.
In 2004, I did not return to the panel until April, while the following year I did not start training until the middle of January due to injury. It is no surprise that come championship time both of these years I was in good shape and feeling sharp.
But anyway, hopefully, there is another few weeks of football left in this year. With our appeal being heard this week, we may find ourselves back in action against Errigal again. I'm sure that if the game is replayed then it will be another low-scoring affair. I just hope that I can play a bit better.
