The fall out from the Derrychara United v Tummery Athletic Mulhern Cup tie took another twist last Thursday when Derrychara United withdrew from the competition.

The tie, played on February 12, had been won 3-2 by Tummery after extra time but they were subsequently found to have used a fourth substitute in the game when the competition rules allow for only three to be used.

On the day, Tummery had been informed by the match referee that sides could use a fourth substitute in extra time but this was incorrect and following Derrychara’s appeal, Tummery were thrown out of this year’s competition with Derrychara reinstated.

The Dromore side have appealed the decision to the IFA but last Thursday Derrychara United withdrew from the competition after it was found that their appeal was out of order.

In a statement the club said: “It has been brought to our attention that our recent appeal against Tummery Athletic in the Mulhern cup was in fact out of order, which has been confirmed to us, we have since had a committee meeting and discussed the issue with our management team and all came to the decision that we would Withdraw from the Mulhern Cup immediately, this probably would have been the decision taken anyway by the IFA or if the appeal was to be returned to the Fermanagh and Western Association, we feel that by our mistake it is only right to speed up the process and to let the Mulhern Cup proceed as quickly as possible for those clubs still in it.

“We have informed the Secretary of the F&W association of our decision.”

It has come to light that Derrychara had failed to sign their appeal which ruled it out of order.

“Derrychara realised their appeal was out of order and should not have been heard on the grounds that it wasn’t signed. That was my fault as I shouldn’t have accepted a protest that wasn’t signed,” said Fermanagh and Western chairman, Neil Jardine.

Derrychara’s withdrawal though does not have a bearing on Tummery’s situation according to Jardine who says that they had still broken the competition rules and at this stage Mountjoy United will progress straight through to the quarter-finals although this is subject to Tummery’s appeal being heard by the IFA.

“It leaves it at the moment that Mountjoy United, subject to the outcome of the Tummery appeal, have a free passage into the quarter-finals.

“Tummery have appealed on a number of grounds, one of them being that the Derrychara appeal should not have been heard, and that is correct, but materially that doesn’t change what they are appealing on.

“If I had realised the Derrrychara appeal was out of order it wouldn’t have been heard but we still would have dealt with Tummery playing an illegal player and they would still have been put out of the cup so they would still be appealing to the IFA.

“With Derrychara withdrawing it is now either Tummery’s appeal is upheld and they are reinstated into the cup to play Mountjoy or Tummery’s appeal is rejected and they are excluded and therefore Mountjoy go through.”

Written submissions from the parties is now underway but Jardine acknowledges that there is no timescale on when the IFA will make a ruling on it.

“We have submitted our written response to their appeal, it had to be submitted to the IFA by Tuesday.

“You would hope that it would be dealt with soon but correspondence has to go back and forth between ourselves, the IFA and Tummery. It is that back and forward between the different parties that could take time,” he added.