Castlebar manager Pat Holmes admits losing Richie Feeney to an early black card represented a big blow.

The talismanic Mayo star has to leave the Croke Park pitch after just five minutes of yesterday's All-Ireland senior club football championship final against St Vincent's and his departure left the Connacht champions facing an uphill battle.

"Unfortunately, we lost our spiritual leader Richie Feeney and that was a huge blow, but in fairness to the guys they kept plugging away," Holmes is quoted in The Irish Examiner.

"Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say you were beaten by the better team and I think that was the case.

"Richie isn't a dirty player. It happened on the far side of the pitch and I didn't see the replays of it, whether it was a bodycheck or something. It seemed to be harsh after three or four minutes and there was one shortly afterwards where a St Vincent's guy pulled one of our guys down and he got away with it.

"The bottom line is you have to be able to overcome those setbacks and we just didn't. I'm not cribbing about the referee because normally it balances itself out over a game." Tweet

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