Annadale bemoan IHL replay decision

Northern powerhouses Annadale have hit out at the Irish Hockey League (IHL) committee’s decision to replay the Belfast club’s abandoned tie with Cookstown in its entirety. The ‘Dale were 4-1 up at Coolnafranky last Saturday when the game was abandoned in the third quarter due to the dangerous underfoot conditions caused by sub-zero temperatures at the Co Tyrone venue. Despite the fact that Annadale were set to collect three points for a win — plus a bonus point for being more than two goals up — the IHL has decreed that the game will be replayed from the start, with the sides beginning at 0-0, on December 14. Five other games affected by the weather are also refixed for that date, but all but one of those never got underway in the first place. Monkstown, however, were 1-0 up against Lisnagarvey when their game was halted in the first quarter. An Annadale spokesperson said: “The IHL (committee) confirmed there is no precise rule for the treatment of abandoned games.

“We are concerned that this decision is not in the best interests of the progress and development of the IHL, a league which we have welcomed as part of the strategic development of Irish hockey. “Comparisons have been made in the decision to other Irish hockey competitions, but it did not take into account the impact of the bonus point rule, nor is it totally clear what will happen if such a situation was to occur during a finals weekend. “We are also concerned at financial implications for re-arranged matches, particularly for those with extended journeys and overnight expense. “The IHL is a club league.  We feel that this is a matter for all clubs in Ireland and they must be represented and have an input to these important decisions, rules and regulations for the future development of the IHL.” The Belfast club are aggrieved that in the EuroHockey League (EHL) — which the match format variations for the IHL has largely been based on — matches are resumed from the point they were stopped, with the scoreline from the abandoned encounter intact. However, an IHL  spokesperson said that while they were very sympathetic towards Annadale’s situation, the decision was made in line with regulations governing other Irish hockey competitions. The spokesperson added that the EHL is played in a tournament format — where all teams compete together at one location — which facilitates re-starting abandoned matches from where they were stopped, while the IHL’s league format restricts this.