Dublin v Kildare 26.6.11

[Hound]

What was the story with Coldrick anyway?

Story I heard on Friday was that Kildare objected to him (possibly because he lives in Dublin?).
GAA told them to feck off, but then Coldrick withdrew anyway.

[Hound]

If not the highest quality, I thought it was a very entertaining game.

Hard to judge the Dubs given we went all defensive for the 2nd half trying to defend the lead with 14 men. Happy with the full back line - well done to Conlon on a very decent championship debut. Thought McCarthy had a poor game, surprised he lasted the 70 - he could be the man to miss out when McMahon is back fit.

Midfield is a big worry. McAuley looked to have broken something in his hand, but hopefully its not that serious. Bastick played as well as he can play, but not sure that's good enough. Fennell caught a few kickouts, but they were ones that Cluxton made easy for him. He got hands to a few 50/50s but didnt win any of them cleanly. Fair play to Barry Cahill for catching a couple of very important balls at the end.

Diarmuid Connolly had an off day, but hopefully Gilroy will stick with him.

O'Gara didnt have an off day, that's the way he always plays. I wouldnt have him on the panel, never mind the team.

Brogans were good I thought. The amount of work they put in was super. I'd give Alan man of the match.

Free at the end was soft alright. Loughlin did pull him when he started to make his run, and the tangle of legs made it look worse than it was. Well done to Bernard for holding his nerve at the end. Best team won, in my opinion.

Bring on the yella bellies. I think (and hope) they are better than they looked on Sunday.

[AZOffaly]

I'm going to be slightly controversial here and congratulate the referee for being man enough to award the free.

Don't get me wrong, I think it was a brutal decision, and very soft, but if the referee felt it was a foul, then fair play to him for having the courage of his convictions and giving the free. Some of things Kevin McStay said about 'you can't give a free like that in the last minute' implying that you can give it earlier on, is just wrong.

A foul is a foul is a foul. I didn't think it was a foul, but the referee did, and gave it knowing that it was going to be a major incident.

He was wrong in my opinion, but I'd still prefer an honest mistake being stood over, rather than someone trying to manipulate the game to get the 'right' result.

[Rossfan]

Kildare were robbed of a replay at least!

Again the ref centre of attention in yet another game. The Dubs got a serious amount of soft frees today.
The Dubs remind me abit like Crossmaglen in club games get all the big decisions for them. I felt gutted for Kildare players and mangement it seems to be a case of "so close but yet so far" I hope Geezer rallys the team for the qualifers and they go for long and successful summer.

What big decisions have Cross got of referees.?

You get every 50/50 call going

Give me some examples.

All Ireland Club Final where the ***** rode Brigids.
As for the "free" which he gave at the end yesterday ... have to phrase this in a question for legal reasons ---- Was it a case of Officialdom want Dublin to be successful to keep up the profile of Gaelic games in the Capital plus does officialdom have it in for McGeeney and Kildare as they may be perceived to be professionals?  .. Did this lead to the large number of one sided decisions which all went aginst Kildare yesterday?
Anyway any ref with a modicum of common sense will NEVER give a potential match winning free in the last minute of a level game unless it's a 120% !! foul.

[heffo]

Commisserations to Kildare, but I won´t apologise for getting the decisions today.

Last years Leinster semi final Meath got three blatantly illegal goals and we had a perfect goal dissallowed.

Last years AI semi, Paul Kerrigan on three occassions grabbed the defenders arm and went to ground and Cork scored.

Sometimes you get the decisions and sometimes you don´t .

Bottom line remains Kildare have had two chances to beat us in the space of 24 months and have had an extra man for over seventy minutes of those two games and still haven´t beaten us.

A draw would´ve been a fair result but so would´ve last years AI semi final.

Dublin getting the rub of the green makes for a better headline.

No one wants a patronising apology thanks very much.

And the bottom line is that Dublin would not have won that game if wasn't for the referee.

There is no apology - patronising or otherwise.

Plenty of games are won or lost by the ref - Dublin have been on the receiving end on plenty of occassions, but I´ve had the grace not to use that as an excuse.

[Dinny Breen]

Commisserations to Kildare, but I won´t apologise for getting the decisions today.

Last years Leinster semi final Meath got three blatantly illegal goals and we had a perfect goal dissallowed.

Last years AI semi, Paul Kerrigan on three occassions grabbed the defenders arm and went to ground and Cork scored.

Sometimes you get the decisions and sometimes you don´t .

Bottom line remains Kildare have had two chances to beat us in the space of 24 months and have had an extra man for over seventy minutes of those two games and still haven´t beaten us.

A draw would´ve been a fair result but so would´ve last years AI semi final.

Dublin getting the rub of the green makes for a better headline.

No one wants a patronising apology thanks very much.

And the bottom line is that Dublin would not have won that game if wasn't for the referee.

There is no apology - patronising or otherwise.

Plenty of games are won or lost by the ref - Dublin have been on the receiving end on plenty of occassions, but I´ve had the grace not to use that as an excuse.

You might have humility in defeat but are clearly lacking it in victory.

[Canalman]

For what it is worth both my brother and brother in law (a Wexford man) are adamant that it was a free in at the end. Acc to them the tv didn't show the blatant holding preceding it. Wasn't at game so can't comment further on it.

Much bigger game coming up between us this week in the minor semi final imho. Winner gets 2nd chance at least and loser out.

[Dinny Breen]

I think this thread should be locked and my last comment on it is a quote from the great John Doyle...

"We do our job, and we expect others to do theirs properly, we can either lie down and cry or get back up and fight, I know what this group of lads will do." - JD June 26th 2011

[AZOffaly]

Why should the thread be locked? You're taking this badly Dinny

I loved that quote from JD. Now that's a leader.

[Applesisapples]

Same old Bernard always buying cheap frees not just today thinking about the handy frees he orchestrated against Down in the national league game as just one example how often is he going to get away with this

Not just Bernard Brogan does that, it is endemic in forward play at the moment, this grabbing the hand/jersey etc. Refs keep buying it. Ironically the only ref to punish it that I can remember was Martin Sludden when he penalised Finnian Moriarty in Down/Armagh league game last year.

[AZOffaly]

I'm not accusing Brogan of that, because I never saw him do it, but I hate that lark as well. I was a forward myself, so anything to get a yard of space is fair game, but wrapping a lads arm up and pulling him down on top of you is cheating. Peter Canavan was great at it, and I heard him praising someone yesterday in the Donegal Tyrone game. At least he's not hypocritical about it.

Defenders have to put their arms out and be strong, they have no other weaponry trying to stop a lads run, because of the tackle in the GAA. They are entitled to stand their ground like that. If a forward hooks the arm and pulls them down, it should be a free out, but it's very hard for refs to make that call.

[Hardy]

I'm going to be slightly controversial here and congratulate the referee for being man enough to award the free.

Don't get me wrong, I think it was a brutal decision, and very soft, but if the referee felt it was a foul, then fair play to him for having the courage of his convictions and giving the free. Some of things Kevin McStay said about 'you can't give a free like that in the last minute' implying that you can give it earlier on, is just wrong.

A foul is a foul is a foul. I didn't think it was a foul, but the referee did, and gave it knowing that it was going to be a major incident.

He was wrong in my opinion, but I'd still prefer an honest mistake being stood over, rather than someone trying to manipulate the game to get the 'right' result.

Great post, AZ. I only have the TV coverage to rely on for my judgement as to whether it was foul or not. And it's clearly not enough because it doesn't show the whole incident and what it does show is too distant to be clear. We don't see what happened before the point where the replay of the incident started. This however doesn't stop the TV muppets from pronouncing that it was an incorrect decision. My guess is that the ref saw a short tug on the jersey at some point. He was dead nuts on this all day and gave every one of them, no matter how slight. As you say, AZ, he would have been inconsistent (and would have been vilified for it by the same pundits) if he had chosen this as the only one to ignore.

I hate the nambification of the game that's going on and the yellow carding, etc. and this ref was one of the worst I've seen for that. He was way too fussy, but he was consistent.

By the way, AZ, McStay took the opportunity on TSG last night to retract his ludicrous statement that you can't give a free in the last minute when the game is level.

[Denn Forever]

McAuley looked to have broken something in his hand, but hopefully its not that serious.

According to commentary during the match, they said there was a compound fracture of the finger.

Didn't know they had X Ray facilities at Croke Park.

[Jinxy]

What was the story with Coldrick anyway?

Story I heard on Friday was that Kildare objected to him (possibly because he lives in Dublin?).
GAA told them to feck off, but then Coldrick withdrew anyway.

One of the few decent refs around and they objected to him.
Good lord.

[Jinxy]

McAuley looked to have broken something in his hand, but hopefully its not that serious.

According to commentary during the match, they said there was a compound fracture of the finger.

Didn't know they had X Ray facilities at Croke Park.

It was one of those horrible ones where the ball hit the top of his finger from a kickout.
At the time it happened I grabbed my own fingers!
It's a sore thing even if it doesn't break anything.