I have watched the game again. In my view Maurice Deegan made the only fair decision he could make in not showing John Small a black card. Small and Andy Moran tackled for the same ball, both fell with Moran getting up first. In falling Small rolled on the ground into Moran's legs accidentally again knocking him to the ground. At this point Deegan blew for the free. While Small did hand trip Moran he did so after the free had been given I.e. When the ball was out of play! So the Referee could not penalise him by showing a black card for an infraction which happened when play was stopped.

Johnnser (Dublin) - Posts: 1 - 04/10/2016 10:22:59    1922242

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 04/10/2016 10:47:45    1922266

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 04/10/2016 11:02:04    1922277

Yeah Black card for me more then Cooper, the timing though was very early. You could pick another 20 questionable incidents and only two were black carded so its a bit irrelvent.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 04/10/2016 11:02:09    1922278

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 04/10/2016 11:03:11    1922279

It was definitely a deliberate hand trip, only issue for me is that maybe the ball had gotten away from Moran anyway.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12118 - 04/10/2016 11:13:11    1922287

theduke66 (Dublin) - Posts: 334 - 04/10/2016 11:13:49    1922288

He definitely did hand trip Andy Moran, so technically it should have been a black card. Now it's not the worst tackle in history but it is a black card. You can clothes line an opponent and get away with a yellow card, a simple hand trip like what Johnny Cooper did gets you a black card and end of your match, for me that makes no sense. I know the black card is there to stop cynical play but when you fall down your hands naturally start grappling to get to the ball. I'd have to say that John Small's hand trip looked more cynical and he knew what he was doing. I'd be in favour of getting rid of the black card and award a free in front of the posts for a cynical foul.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1874 - 04/10/2016 11:26:27    1922294

Black card all day for me.

Kevin McLoughlin should have had two! Brogan as well at the end.

The ones that were given were all fair enough but Smaller, McLoughlin and Brogan were all lucky.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 04/10/2016 11:38:46    1922300

There is no doubt he tried to trip Moran but I felt Moran had a delayed reaction before he fell - throwing the arms up in the air as he falls is a good indication of this. Also felt Small was trying to free himself from CoC rather than trying to strike him in the incident before halftime. If Small really wanted to strike a lad lying underneath him on the ground I expect he wouldn't have missed.
I thought one of the worst incidents of the day was Connolly waving an imaginary card after being fouled by Keegan, it's just terrible to see. Would gladly see this being included as a black card offence.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 04/10/2016 11:44:25    1922305

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12118 - 04/10/2016 11:49:44    1922309

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 04/10/2016 11:50:09    1922310

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12118 - 04/10/2016 11:56:43    1922314

The only thing everyone will agree on, is that the current Black Card setup cannot be effectively implemented, and that something needs to change.

If small was black carded for the first incident on Moran, no-one could have said it was unfair.

Cooper's was a little harsh given the situation and field position. But again, hard to argue against it.

Keegan knew what he was doing, and he didn't protest when the card was pulled out. It speaks volumes of his character. Connolly flapping about to the ref was not the kind of behaviour we should ever, ever encourage.

Throwing a two year old type tantrum for not getting a free was actually more amusing than anything else. I'd say O'Connor cringes when he looks back on it.

Blindsiding a player and flattening him deliberately, and then escaping any kind of sanction is baffling. The whole of Croker saw Cooper being taken out. Weird, just weird.

Fenton charging into a players back, ah cmon. Silly stuff that deserved a yellow.

I can go on all day, but there's a pattern here. Sin Bin and Video ref now please. I pains me to say it, but the Egg Chasers have this right.

Jaden (Dublin) - Posts: 139 - 04/10/2016 12:37:00    1922338

I watched the sky coverage on YouTube last night. At HT they showed the Small/COC incident from two wide angles. COC clearly throws Small to the ground before falling on top of Small and holding him around the neck. Small was smacking COC's arm away

Gavvygavgav (Dublin) - Posts: 382 - 04/10/2016 12:38:51    1922340

By the letter of the law it was a black for Small and a red later on.

'Slapping his hand away' - must try that one in the board room in Pairc Ui Rinn.

buttybrennan (Cork) - Posts: 58 - 04/10/2016 13:08:38    1922353

What's the point in going over all this again, Dublin are champions and getting annoyed about black yellow or red cards won't change that.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 04/10/2016 13:20:29    1922357

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 04/10/2016 14:15:41    1922389

So everyone missed James McCarthy's definite red card on Vaughan then?

MadgeKing (Cavan) - Posts: 493 - 04/10/2016 14:48:19    1922413

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12118 - 04/10/2016 14:52:54    1922415