Was at the game last night, Both sides got soft frees but at different stages, the only punch I saw thrown during the game was by Cillian O connor midway through the first half on Enright, lucky not to be sent off .
On a sidenote the speed at which the referee ran to the dressing room after match was incredible, he'd give Usain Bolt a run for his money.

hurler32 (Limerick) - Posts: 870 - 31/08/2014 11:13:29    1645071

I watched the game again just to study the ref. He gave at least 12 decisions Kerry's way in terms of crazy frees. There were 3 black cards not given to Kerry. I'd say Kerry would like to have him in the final. Meath refs and Mayo???

suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1731 - 31/08/2014 11:13:53    1645072

Just to clear up some of the opinions here on the advantage rule. If a player is given advantage and kicks a ball wide within the five seconds allowed, the ball should be brought back for the original free.


Am I sure? Yes, because at the start of the year, Pat McEnaney came to our club to give the presentation about the new rules that the referees were given. His words were "If you get advantage in a scoring position, my advice would be to have a go, because if you miss you'll get a free anyway".

OgraAnDun (Down) - Posts: 406 - 31/08/2014 11:17:01    1645075

I can't believe this thread is even started, the ref today contributed to one of the greatest football games in recent times and people are on here nit picking. I can only assume that those criticizing him are you're standard armchair Gaa fans who aren't directly involved in the game but can recite the rule book to the word. If more games were let flow like that it would be an even better game.

hootervillian (Meath) - Posts: 309 - 31/08/2014 11:19:25    1645078

The problem with referees at inter county level is the lack of consistency from individual to individual and then the lack of consistency in games. Yesterday was a prime example. I hate criticising them but players need to know that the officials are in charge from the get go. The end of the game was tragic to watch and has no place in our game. Mayo were blatantly denied a proper opportunity to kick the free for at least two minutes and then what happens they correct extra time is not even added. I really think the gaa need to look at the role of umpires and linesman. They need to help the man in the middle out more. Modern technology is a must in big games. The ger cafferty foul for the Kerry penalty was at the very least a genuine effort to win the ball. The lead in to one of the Kerry goals came from a sideline taken in the wrong place and the player taking it encroached onto the pitch. Possibly the Kerry keeper was fouled for andy Morans goal. There is too much at stake at this level to continually see the man in the middle being the main talking point. Mayo have no one to blame put themselves but they can be slightly aggrieved at the majority of big calls that went against them. Time for the gaa to buck up and help the man in the middle the help he needs and if he is just plain poor at the job he shouldn't get big games. Then again why would anyone want to subject themselves to the like of what went on yesterday. All well and good keeping the Americans happy yesterday but start looking after the real stakeholders in our beloved games. Officials, players, mentors and supporters.

Adamski (Dublin) - Posts: 339 - 31/08/2014 11:23:55    1645080

Down poster, you are 100 percent correct on the advantage. I had a conversation with Pat regards the advantage and black card topics and Pat firmly pointed out the advantage scenario. The idea is that, yes you let play go an after the infraction, the ref holds up their arm for 5 seconds (bar a severe injury being caused obviously) and if the ball is kicked wide or no outright advantage is gained; than a free is given from the spot of the original infraction. You Mourne folk are always thinking....

lostintime (USA) - Posts: 533 - 31/08/2014 11:25:02    1645081

Down poster, you are 100 percent correct on the advantage. I had a conversation with Pat regards the advantage and black card topics and Pat firmly pointed out the advantage scenario. The idea is that, yes you let play go an after the infraction, the ref holds up their arm for 5 seconds (bar a severe injury being caused obviously) and if the ball is kicked wide or no outright advantage is gained; than a free is given from the spot of the original infraction. You Mourne folk are always thinking....

lostintime (USA) - Posts: 533 - 31/08/2014 11:25:08    1645082

Yesterday was a great day for gaelic football. A match for the neutral watching that had everything and will go down in history as one of the best ever.
As a neutral, I felt Cormac Reilly's performance aided what was a reasonably free flowing game of football full of heart, determination and passion.
Another referee might have blown up for every indescretion regardless of how small it was, resulting in a tedious game of football.
Referees make mistakes and yesterday Reilly made a few but it is players that win football matches and on the day, Kerry just shaded it with them few crucial scores in extra-time.
For me, bring more games out of Croke Park, far better atmosphere at smaller grounds with full capacity attendances.

Royal_Truth (Meath) - Posts: 8 - 31/08/2014 12:03:59    1645097

Posters keep saying refs bad calls dont matter because the best team won, a massive part of that "best team" performance came from the momentum received from the scores of those bad calls, every call effects the flow of the game, when those calls for the most part go against you then your performance is effected and so on, if Mayo had done last Sunday when they were five points up what kerry did in the closing stages yesterday then they would have won, every team needs luck along the way to win an all-ireland, kerry had buckets of it yesterday, mayo had none,refs are human and part of the uncertainty of the game, part of the reasons we all keep coming back for more regardless of which side of the lucky coin we are on, on any given day, and now for dons v dubs another story, cant wait.

giveballaghback (Roscommon) - Posts: 296 - 31/08/2014 12:16:20    1645105

Shane enrights foul on o connor for mayos penalty was a blatant black card offence.. once again not given.. and he was on a yellow..

unclegerry (Mayo) - Posts: 1223 - 31/08/2014 12:16:28    1645106

@unclegerry - and the 2 very soft frees given to Kerry towards the end of the 1st half of extra time.

Ailteoir (Galway) - Posts: 898 - 31/08/2014 12:26:56    1645113

firstly losing Counties always see some perceived agenda by referee's against them . . The issues that annoy spectators and players alike is the total inconsistency displayed between referees and sometimes during the game itself i.e what was a free earlier in the game is not a free for the same foul later in the game . . just mad stuff . . I agree with west Kerry ,Counties just have to take their medicine and wish that team all the best in the final . . Watch today's game and you will see bizarre decisions

dubtastic (Dublin) - Posts: 6 - 31/08/2014 12:29:18    1645115

The two games have produced plenty of talking points, one overshadowed by the next. This is why people are interested in football and often addicted to it - the fact that it generates such heated debate.
Mayo may feel a little hard done by but how would Kerry have felt if they had lost? In this game they bossed midfield from start to finish and David Moran gave a display of high-fielding seldom seen these days. Likewise Kieran Donaghy, the single tower, did as he wished on the edge of the Mayo square. James O Donoghue was 'quiet' but managed 2-6 at his leisure.
The referee will often be the centre of attention after a close game. They can't get everything right. In hindsight I would say David Coldrick did a better job the first day. Cormac Reilly did make some strange decisions and it could be argued that Kerry benefited more than Mayo. However, the rescinding of Keegans red card the first day may have played heavily on his mind re his erratic use of cards. He had no fear of issuing yellows but was very wary of dishing out black or red.
However be that as it may, Mayo had their foot on Kerry's throat at a few different points in both games but were not able to deliver the killer blow when it was called for. Did the referee give Kerry soft frees when they seemed to be slipping out of contention at different points during this game and in extra time? Who can say with certainty?
I thought there was an awful lot of casual pulling / dragging and charging with the ball. Frees were only awarded occasionally and then erratically. Both teams seemed totally unworried about being blown up for this and seemed to know that Reilly would generally let a lot go. It seemed at times there was so much happening Reilly's eyes were unable to take it all in. He seemed to always be playing catch-up.
Some Mayo players seemed determined to run through or over their opponents rather than trying to go round them. Aidan O Shea got injured at this and was rendered harmless thereafter. Similarly on several occasions he and other Mayo players were turned over. They didn't let the ball do the work and paid for it.
All the right thinking people have been out and about since the match giving out about the rows during the match and at the end. But in reality most GAA supporters like to see a row now and again and no amount of political correctness can hide that. It adds spice to the occasion. Do any of these outraged people ever go to matches? However, it seems odd that Kerry should be accused of starting the row as time ran out. Usually it's the team who are behind which starts the row.
The commentators too should come under scrutiny for the amount of nonsense they come out with. I was on a SKY stream and had to laugh at some gems. They were talking about a sub kicking his second or third wide and someone said "He usually gets those.' Surely that was why he was a sub in the first place. I hear this comment all the time re middling players. There was also a lot of talk about the tiredness of the players in extra time after all their exertions, and rightly so. A player then sent in a shot which dropped short and the commentator put it down to 'tired legs.' This player was only on the field a few minutes at the time.




Northerners will be a little bemused at the reaction to this game. While there have been people condemning the various incidents it is nothing as to what would have been spoken and written had a northern team been playing - if an Ulster team had been involved there would be ten times the outrage and condemnation. But as always 'The dogs bark and the caravan passes.'

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 31/08/2014 12:33:47    1645117

What are the thoughts on security at the Limerick grounds? Surely such a high profile game with so much at stake, security needs to be at a maximum. Three supporters got onto the pitch before the end of the match and then the referee racing for the dressing room is a sorry sight.

I thought pitch invasions were not allowed but this is the second time in a little over a year Limerick has seen a mass invasion. All the investment made in this ground but it's still well short of what's required in my opinion. You wouldn't get it in Croke Park anymore that's for sure.

Whoever was in charge of security yesterday did a poor job in my opinion, not that they had an easy job either. But I wouldn't be asking them again for their help.

Former_Poster (Meath) - Posts: 394 - 31/08/2014 12:45:00    1645124

Its definitely time to ensure that the winning of games does not come down to key refereeing decisions. As a neutral in regards to yesterdays game I believe Mayo were beaten not by Kerry's brilliance but by key referee decisions at crucial periods that blatantly favored Kerry. Now don't get me wrong because in truth, Kerry were brilliant, but so were Mayo. Referees continue to be unaccountable for their decision making. Yesterday's referee should be asked why he called so many frees in front of goal for kerry for supposed fouls on Kieran Donaghy. There was another game on yesterday in Australia where Sydney played Richmond, what was evident in this game was the referee consistently got the big calls correct. Why is there so much ambiguity in our game. Players train so hard they should not be ousted from the championship for any other reason than their own performance. We allow our referees to hide under the guise of amateurism and love of the game. Day jobs.. etc.. Accountability is paramount to the continued success of our games. Its time to pay our referees and then ask the hard questions when they get it wrong. Yesterday both teams were brilliant but in my opinion and in a lot of other neutrals opinions Mayo are out of the AI not because of their endeavors but because of key decisions at key times going against them. These key decisions no matter how often I watch them were clearly incorrect calls. It can not be tolerated any longer for the good of the game. Please let the players be the decisive factor in the winning and losing of our games!!!

mikey25 (Longford) - Posts: 32 - 31/08/2014 13:08:20    1645137

Its definitely time to ensure that the winning of games does not come down to key refereeing decisions. As a neutral in regards to yesterdays game I believe Mayo were beaten not by Kerry's brilliance but by key referee decisions at crucial periods that blatantly favored Kerry. Now don't get me wrong because in truth, Kerry were brilliant, but so were Mayo. Referees continue to be unaccountable for their decision making. Yesterday's referee should be asked why he called so many frees in front of goal for kerry for supposed fouls on Kieran Donaghy. There was another game on yesterday in Australia where Sydney played Richmond, what was evident in this game was the referee consistently got the big calls correct. Why is there so much ambiguity in our game. Players train so hard they should not be ousted from the championship for any other reason than their own performance. We allow our referees to hide under the guise of amateurism and love of the game. Day jobs.. etc.. Accountability is paramount to the continued success of our games. Its time to pay our referees and then ask the hard questions when they get it wrong. Yesterday both teams were brilliant but in my opinion and in a lot of other neutrals opinions Mayo are out of the AI not because of their endeavors but because of key decisions at key times going against them. These key decisions no matter how often I watch them were clearly incorrect calls. It can not be tolerated any longer for the good of the game. Please let the players be the decisive factor in the winning and losing of our games!!!

mikey25 (Longford) - Posts: 32 - 31/08/2014 13:08:31    1645139

The game is so fast and very difficult for any man to control or ref.

But there were some serious big errors yesterday.The 2 frees in 1st half of injury time have been well documented and rightly so.
I thought David Moran got a few handy frees during the game and having looked at them again he wasn't touched but fell to ground easy.
Some of these icidents didn't actually led to a score for Kerry and were away from the goals but they seep into the ebb and flow off a game and gave Kerry a chance to attack again.David Moran for me actually was Man of the Match and was immense by the way,so I am not saying he dived or anything just the ref was quick to blow whistle for him a few times.

Whether Cafferkey fouled o'donoghue should not be the question in the penalty incident....a Kerry player blatantly fouled a mayo defender just seconds before as ball was going through preventing the mayo man from collecting the ball.Not one of the analysts mentioned this.So for me maybe cafferkey did foul him..but if ref did the job correctly that would not mattered.

When teams of similar standard meet it is very,very small things that decide it.Yesterday it was the ref.

And yes Kerry kicked brilliant points in extra time and young Lyne was outstanding in general play too.And yes they dominated midfield exchanges and any breaks that went.But Mayo players only had to look at Donaghy and he got a free.

Look at the last piece of action just prior to o'connors sending off again (deservedly sent-off)...Declan o Sullivan rugby tackles the mayo guy.And I would have done it myself too.In the spirit of the GAA? Very easy to do that...but then that's why lads play Rugby and not gaelic.whether the mayo guy would have got a shot on goal we will never know.O'sullivan will play in another all-Ireland final because of it.
Rather than try and tackle fairly (which is a skill too) he did the easy thing.Drag the man down,filter everyone back to defend.He should have got a straight red.

The GAA Big shots have to get 2 refs in like the ozzies or have a strict de-brief after games because it is not good enough.
Young men giving up their lives and making unknown sacrifices and to be let down by that yesterday is poor...very poor.

Dr.Crokes (UK) - Posts: 1 - 31/08/2014 13:14:29    1645143

longtime

Soon afterwards the Mayo keeper appeared to pick the ball off the ground outside his protected small box, that is a penalty, correct?

A: No, its a technical foul in the large square 13M free. A technical foul is one a penalty in the small square

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1956 - 31/08/2014 13:22:18    1645147

Players and the game are so fast now, surely time for a ref in each half. Very difficult for a ref to make a split second call from 60 feet away

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 31/08/2014 13:23:26    1645148

Thank you Zinny of Wexford. A defender picking the ball up off the ground in the big rectangle is a technical foul, therefore a 13M free is awarded the attacking TEAM.

lostintime (USA) - Posts: 533 - 31/08/2014 13:57:54    1645166