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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Paddy Tierney

Antrim SHC: Rossa suffer huge blow on the eve of Loughgiel clash

The hurlers of O’Donovan Rossa will bid to reach the Antrim SHC semi-finals when they face Loughgiel, but their hand has been severely weakened ahead of Sunday’s game at Dunsilly (5pm).

It has been confirmed that Stephen Beatty’s appeal against the red card he received in Rossa’s final group game against champions Dunloy was thrown out by the Antrim CCC.

Beatty claimed that he was the victim of mistaken identity when he was issued with a late red card for something which he allegedly said to an umpire.

Read more: Club lodge complaint with Antrim after dual star suffers season-ending injury in ‘unsafe’ conditions

However, Rossa were hopeful of clearing their captain on appeal as another player apparently owned up to the offence.

Yet, Beatty’s case fell on deaf ears and he’ll play no part as the West Belfast men seek to progress to the last four.

Their task is made even tougher after losing another key player in Michael Armstrong after the former Antrim ace suffered a season-ending ACL injury while featuring for the Rossa footballers in last weekend’s quarter-final defeat to Creggan at St Enda’s.

Earlier this afternoon, Ballycastle take on St John’s at Dunsilly (1pm) with both sides also missing some key personnel.

Antrim star Ciaran Clarke is out for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn meniscus earlier in the campaign while the Johnnies are without Conor Johnston and Conal Bohill while Domhnall Nugent is also unlikely to start.

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