Furious Lilywhites rage at controversial Dublin winner

Should Dublin have been awarded the last minute free that led them to victory over Kildare yesterday? Kieran McGeeney and Aindriu MacLochlainn certainly didn’t think so.

The way the GAA championships have gone so far this season, it seems there would be something amiss if a weekend passed without controversy and yesterday at headquarters, we saw what was probably the most contentious decision of the year so far.

In an enthralling Leinster semi-final between Dublin and Kildare at Croke Park, 14-man Dublin escaped with a one-point victory thanks to an injury-time free from Bernard Brogan, awarded after referee Cormac Reilly adjudged that he had been fouled by Kildare defender Aindriu MacLochlainn

Television replays showed that there was little contact between the pair and in the immediate aftermath of the game, RTE pundits Colm O’Rourke and Pat Spillane felt that the Lilywhites had been harshly dealt with.

MacLochlainn, who it must be said sailed close to the wind in his dealings with the Footballer of the Year on a number of occasions, was in no doubt that he committed no offence and said that it was a “cruel” way to lose a game of football.

“It wasn’t a free,” said MacLochlainn after the game.

“I was sure in my mind it wasn’t a free. The game shouldn’t come down to a decision like that. It’s unnecessary and it’s a cruel way to end a game of football. I know in my mind I didn’t foul him but that’s football.”

His manager Kieran McGeeney, who looked as if he had aged ten years in his post match interview, echoed the sentiments of MacLochlainn and voiced his displeasure at the quality of refereeing towards his side in recent times.

“He didn’t do anything wrong, he didn’t do anything wrong,” said an aggrieved McGeeney.

“Even after seven replays he still didn’t do anything wrong.”

There are two sides to every story, however, and Metropolitans boss Pat Gilroy felt that the man in black had made the correct decision, if not for that incident alone, but for the treatment dished out to his star man throughout the 70 minutes.

“I’d say there were seven or eight that he could have had before that so I think the one he did get, look your man was pulling,” said Gilroy.

“I mean, we either we want to have good forwards pulled and have that as part of the game, or it was a free because he was pulling him. There’s no question.”

The incident is the latest in a series of refereeing controversies that have dogged both the hurling and football championships so far this season.

Perhaps, more interesting, however, will be the private reaction of the Leinster Council to Reilly’s contentious call.

No doubt the bean counters were rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of another bumper pay day at Croker until the intervention of both Reilly and Brogan cost them a replay and several hundred thousand euro in the process.