New Zealand Cricket withdrew the venue's warrant of fitness and transferred Otago's twenty/20 game against Northern Districts on December 29 to the University Oval in Dunedin.
NZC grounds and facilities manger Ian McKendry said the decision had not been made lightly but he became concerned when the venue was unable to find a timely replacement for former groundsman Wayne Walker.
Andrew Douglas was appointed to the role the same week NZC withdrew the warrant, but that appointment came too late in the process. NZC also wanted a chance to work alongside Douglas to make sure the ground met the required standards.
The decision has polarised the cricket community, with Otago Country Cricket chairman and long-serving scorer Malcolm Jones critical of the move. But O'Connor, who is on the board of Otago Country Cricket, backed the decision.
"It would reflect so much worse on Molyneux Park if the game went ahead and the pitch didn't play well when we didn't even have a qualified groundsman," O'Connor said.
"There is every chance the pitch would have been fine but, in today's modern era, if it had gone bad, the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association (NZCPA) could have got involved and said, 'What the hell are you doing playing at Molyneux Park?'. It could have blown up in everybody's face."
O'Connor said the Central Otago District Council and the contractor responsible for maintaining the venue - Asplundh - had worked hard to find a replacement for Walker and it was just unfortunate the process had taken longer than expected.
O'Connor believes NZC and Otago Cricket Association remain committed to playing cricket in Alexandra and that is evident by a willingness to schedule fixtures at the venue.
And while there will not be any domestic cricket at Molyneux Park this season, it looks as though a game of sorts will go ahead. O'Connor has been in discussions with the NZCPA about staging a classic game.
Nothing is confirmed but O'Connor said the likes of Rod Latham, Mark Greatbatch, Scott Styris, Geoff Allott, Bryan Young and Kerry Walmsley had been shoulder tapped about playing in the match and their likely opponents shape as an Otago Country selection side.
