The brawl which overshadowed yesterday's Fenway Hurling Classic in Boston has been played down by both Galway and Dublin.

The melee broke out after Dublin goalkeeper Conor Dooley went down injured, but referee Alan Kelly decided not to send anyone off, with Galway's Iarla Tannian and Andy Smith, along with Dooley, the only players to be cautioned.

Dublin's Gary Maguire described the flashpoint as "handbags" before elaborating in the Irish Daily Star: "There was a bit of a late pull and these things happen. We weren't going to give an inch or walk away, but there was no serious injury and that was all.

"The referee handled it well, he got in straight away, went to the Television Match Official and took his time with the decision. It wasn't easy for him because it's a new game (11-a-side) to him, but he handled it well."

Galway's Aidan Harte said: "If I had put the ball in the net in the first place it mightn't have happened - I took a big swing and I'd say they're still fixing the divot out on the pitch!

"That happens in a game and it shows how much the teams were trying to win. We tear into it in the heat of the battle and then we forget about it - we won't be carrying that one over the winter."

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