Offaly manager Pat Flanagan claims small counties are unfairly treated by match officials.

Speaking after the Faithful's narrow All-Ireland qualifier 2A defeat by Kildare on Saturday, a frustrated Flanagan complained: "I'd like to have an analyst look at that game and see was there fair play because in the first half in particular, when we needed to be pushing and getting the scores on the board, I thought decisions went against us an awful lot.

"I'm not trying to make a big issue out of the referee, but it definitely was a serious factor in the game.

"I thought a number of players had tackles when we were in the forward line and the ball was allowed to go ahead and as soon as they were touched up the far side, they got the frees. That's what happens when you're the so-called lower team, you don't get the breaks.

"I've witnessed it before. Unfortunately, that's the GAA and unless somebody does something about it, that's always going to be the way."

Tweet

Most Read Stories