Brian Gavin: Waterford had a gripe but Davy's anger crossed the line
Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald has a word with referee Liam Gordon at final whistle. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie
For everyone except those of a Clare persuasion, it was an awful way to end a game in Ennis on Sunday.
Let’s be straight, Liam Gordon had a fine game and I’ll discuss that shortly but there was definitely no way his umpire knew whether that was a Clare 65 or a wide.
In fairness to the umpire, he looked out the field and seemed to catch the eye of Gordon who didn’t appear to be in doubt about the ball having last come off a Waterford player.
He had been unsure about a wide earlier in the game too and Waterford were fuming. Had Gordon decided to throw the ball in and then blow the full-time whistle on the Waterford 20-metre line confirming the draw, there would have been few gripes.
To make matters worse, Mark Rodgers was allowed to take the 65 from inside the 65m line when he should have either pucked it from the line or behind it. It also appeared Rodgers struck from a more favourable, central position than from where the ball went out over the endline. The delay after the 65 may have contributed towards that.
For all of those grievances, nothing could excuse Davy Fitzgerald’s angry approach to Gordon at the final whistle. A line in the sand has to be drawn now. We can’t allow such behaviour to be seen as acceptable or passable.
If Fitzgerald wanted to talk to Gordon about the 65 or where it was taken, I’m sure Gordon would have given him an audience in a more appropriate place like the changing area but Fitzgerald was out of hand approaching him like he did and as a result I think he might be in hot water with the disciplinary authorities.
It begs the question how can you end games now while ensuring the safety of the referee? Garda escorts are all well and good but that’s not the type of look the GAA should want. It shouldn’t have to come to that but when the stakes are so high and one or two decisions are the difference it’s understandable.
But let’s talk about the things Gordon did right. He is becoming one of the most reliable hurling referees in the country because he wants to contribute to the game and gives great advantages.
There were several examples of that in Cusack Park like Stephen Bennett’s goal and the David Fitzgerald goal chance that he put over the bar. He was also correct with his yellow cards for the Bennetts Stephen and Kieran, Conor Cleary and Iarlaith Daly for constant fouls on Shane O’Donnell.
As for Waterford’s penalty, Patrick Fitzgerald may have been on his way down but Diarmuid Ryan put his hand on the back of the Waterford substitute and it was the right call.
In Thurles, Thomas Walsh had a fine game where the main talking point was Seán O’Donoghue’s tackle on Mark Kehoe in the first half. It appeared an accidental trip to me. Had it been deliberate, it could have been a penalty and a black card for the Cork captain and yet he was yellow-carded. That was a strange call by Walsh and came after he spoke to his linesman Seán Stack.
Cork should have had five goals and Patrick Horgan two instead of one as there was no way he was in the square before the ball arrived. Clearly, Walsh didn’t want to be embroiled in another square ball flashpoint but it didn’t impact the outcome of a game where Cork were far too strong for Tipperary.
HawkEye returned to hurling for the first time this year and while it was again slow it backed up the couple of decisions made by the umpires.
In Parnell Park on Saturday, I felt a free out should have been given before two of the three goals. It looked a clear free for Kilkenny prior to Dublin getting their goal through Brian Hayes. Cian Kenny was impeded and it shouldn’t have counted.
Later, Billy Ryan took a ridiculous amount of steps in setting up Eoin Cody’s goal, probably the decisive score in the game. Johnny Murphy had been doing well outside of those calls and really on top of the technical infringements and to allow those goals will be disappointing for him.
Galway-Derry in Salthill was the pick of the Saturday football games where in the first half Damien Comer was awarded a free for an accidental trip by Gareth McKinless. What followed from McKinless couldn’t be described as any less than nasty as he stood on Comer’s ankle with full force.
Brendan Cawley would have been blindsided by it but he was fortunate his linesman Niall Cullen had a perfect view and Cawley issued a red card to McKinless. It will be interesting to see how heavy a suspension the Derry defender will get but credit to the officials for working together in identifying the act.
