In a further development in the Cavan management saga, Martin Lynch, who served as a selector under Liam Austin, has expressed his wish to be dissociated with the central content of the resignation statement read by the former manager on Wednesday night.

Lynch, the current under-21 manager, stressed in a statement yesterday that he relinquished his position as selector solely on the basis of the vote of no confidence carried by the players. He said he rejected the passage in the resignation statement which referred to the "unwarranted interference in team affairs and manipulation by players by the chairman (Brendan Keaney)" which, it was argued, rendered effective management impossible.

Lynch argues that the timing of the conference caught him short, leaving him unable to state his interpretation of events.

"I was informed of this press conference by Liam Austin about 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday. I had just enough time to go home to change and to go on to Kingscourt. I arrived about five minutes before the press conference started. Liam Austin handed me a pre-prepared resignation statement. I noticed a section in it about the county chairman and I specifically told Liam Austin that I disagreed with it. He refused to take my views on board.

"Thereafter, Liam Austin made a speech for about 45 minutes. I had absolutely no prior knowledge of what he was about to say," said Lynch. "I was totally unprepared for this press statement and I have now been given to understand by sections of the media that they had been notified about this meeting at least one hour before I was notified," he added.

Lynch also disputes media reports which suggested that Austin and the rest of the selectors were unanimous in their belief that they had not received one single complaint or query from the players in relation to training or other matters until after the defeat against Fermanagh and that eventual grievances came to light only after Austin called a team meeting.

"This is rubbish," contends Lynch in the statement. "Two players reported their misgivings to me. I communicated this to Liam Austin and this happened long before the Fermanagh match."