Ger Loughnane has praised referee Barry Kelly for his handling of yesterday's Allianz Hurling League final between Kilkenny and Tipperary.

The Westmeath official laid down the law with a series of yellow cards early on, and issued straight red cards to JJ Delaney and Lar Corbett 10 minutes into the second half after they were involved in a wrestling match 20 metres from the Kilkenny goal.

"Referee Barry Kelly deserves plenty of credit for a fine job," the former Clare and Galway manager wrote in the Irish Daily Star.

"Both players deserved to be sent off, and it's very unusual to see Delaney involved like that. Kilkenny can have no complaints about his red card. Corbett retaliated, so he deserved to be sent off as well.

"Apart from that, even allowing for the physical exchanges, the game was played in brilliant spirit. The man who contributed most to the game being so enjoyable was referee Kelly.

"He scarcely put a foot wrong. If you looked at the game again in slow motion, at least 95 per cent of his decisions would be seen to be right." Tweet

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