Kieran McGeeney was filled with a sense of injustice after a number of crucial refereeing decisions had gone against his Kildare team in yesterday's All-Ireland semi-final.

TV replays showed that Benny Coulter was inside the square when he fisted home a 13th minute goal for Down, while Alan Smith had a perfectly good point waved wide in the seventh minute. To compound matters, Kildare could have had a penalty in the dying moments, but referee Pat McEnaney opted for a 'hop ball' instead.

"We have spent the last two weeks being told that (selector) Aidan O'Rourke crossed the line 22 times or 23 times (against Meath). We have a fella who watches that and they can't tell whether a ball is over the bar, or they can't tell if it was a square ball. Idiots. That's administration," he blasted.

"It's a shame because you're taking away from people like Benny Coulter who shows great courage going for those type of balls and the work rate of Danny Hughes and Kalum King. Down were outstanding today. You can't take it away from them."

The Kildare manager admitted that the nature of the defeat was hard to take.

"It is gut-wrenching for the boys. I feel like there is a hole in me that can't be filled. I cannot imagine what it is like for the fellas. They threw their heart and soul into it.

"Seven points down, fellas would throw in the towel, but they didn't. They kept coming back and back," he added. Tweet

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