Rushall anger at striker loss

Rushall manager Paul Holleran has been left seething after having striker Sean Dowdall sidelined for up to six weeks by an opponent he claims should not have been playing.

Dowdall has been ruled out with a knee injury following a challenge from Clitheroe’s Kieran Fletcher last Saturday in an FA Trophy match.

And Holleran admitted Fletcher’s involvement makes the loss of Dowdall even harder to take.

Tuesday’s replay between the clubs was postponed while the FA look into Rushall’s claim that Fletcher should have missed the match because of suspension.

And, while Rushall now look set to be handed a place in the next round when a panel rules on the case, the damage to Dowdall cannot be undone.

Holleran said: “The replay is under review by the FA because of the suggestion that Clitheroe played a player, Keiran Fletcher, who was under suspension.

“At 1.50pm last Saturday I went up to the Clitheroe chairman and told him I felt that Kieran Fletcher shouldn’t be playing in the game. They chose to play him anyway and the FA then went and suspended them pending a meeting next week.

“I can’t really believe that a club the size of Clitheroe would do that, but they did and we had to get on with the game.

“During the match Kieran Fletcher was involved in the incident in which Sean Dowdall got injured.

“It wasn’t a bad tackle, it was just one of those things, but the fact that the player involved shouldn’t have been playing makes it worse.

“Sean could be out for anything up to six weeks.”

Holleran moved immediately to replace Dowdall by signing striker Aaron Farrell from Halesowen.

The pacy forward arrived at The Grove after Holleran’s spell there as manager, but the Pics boss is a long-time admirer of the player.

He said: “He is a player I looked at when I was manager of Solihull and Halesowen and he has improved.”