Brian Gavin: Colm Lyons got most decisions right in game made easier by teams' gulf in class
KEY MOMENT: Galway's Ronan Glennon awaits a decision from Referee Colm Lyons. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane
The call every referee wants to get comes about 10 days before an All-Ireland final.
So many people including myself figured it would be James Owens’ mobile phone that was going to be rung after he refereed the Munster final and an All-Ireland quarter-final. In his final year at inter-county level as he turns 50 years of age, it would be a perfect send-off like John Keenan had a few years back.
Instead, the call was made to Colm Lyons and I have little doubt in putting forward that Galway didn’t want Owens. The negative attitude of supporters towards him was obvious looking at social media comments about him from Galway supporters.
What I witnessed at Galway’s game against Offaly in Tullamore last year, which Owens referred, left me in no doubt that the Wexford man was not somebody they appreciated.
Galway may have avoided him but it wasn’t enough on a day when Lyons’ job was made easier by the gulf in class between the two counties. He had come in cold after six weeks out and that was the fear, that he didn’t have enough recent experience under his belt.
Some of his hand signals were slow, advantage was played and not given on a couple of occasions and it was like the players at times couldn’t hear his whistle.
At the same time, most of his decisions were right. Ronan Glennon’s sending-off was correct as he elbowed Peter Casey’s head. The way the game is now refereed, Lyons has no choice but to dismiss the Galway man.
The early yellow card for Mike Casey for constant fouling on Jason Rabbitte was spot on as were the bookings for Adam English and Pádraic Mannion for some off-the-ball malarkey.
Lyons also did well to notice Kyle Hayes’ late slap on Tiernan Killeen and Darragh Neary was also yellow carded for a similar foul on Cian Lynch.
The penalty came when the game was long dead and gone but there was a foul by William O’Donoghue on John Fleming. However, again it was a slow whistle and it led to some confusion like earlier ones.
Rabbitte was also accidentally tripped by Seán Finn, after Casey was moved off the Galway full-forward. That is a free going by the rulebook yet Lyons didn’t award one.
I have a lot of sympathy for Lyons in refereeing a game that is now so blighted by rucks. At one stage, there were 20 players within the 45-metre lines and trying to get your head around who was doing legit things and who wasn’t would have been frustrating for any official.
I know there will plenty of hurling people who will not want to ape all that football is doing at the moment, but there are improvements that can be made. Keeping three outfield players from each team inside the 45-metre line wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
It’s no reflection on Limerick who were excellent – they simply didn’t Galway one second of rest. The way they swarmed and harried Galway was the key to their victory and that type of hunger should always be applauded.
At the same time, nobody wants to see games turning into series of players huddling around the ball, foostering for it trying to pick it up. It’s as sore on the eye as the pitch design for this final.
I like how John Meyler and his hurling review committee have gone about their early business engaging with people. They genuinely seem to be interested in hearing as many people’s views as possible. They appear to be accepting of the fact hurling does have issues too. Congestion is at the top of the list for me.
I wish Owens well in his retirement. He can look back on a fine career at the highest level and finishing this season on a high when he lost some confidence in recent seasons.
His departure gives a younger referee the chance to step up but it remains a shallow pool. Liam Gordon should be back from injury in 2027 and yet the worry is not enough good referees are coming through.
At the moment, it would be fair to say Munster officials are ahead of Leinster’s but Maurice Deegan has come in as the new co-ordinator in Leinster and has already set his stall out well.
Getting back to the pitch, if I could offer a few word of advice to the excellent groundstaff in Croke Park – keep it simple for the football final. The way the pitch was marked out was not easy on the eye and it made it difficult to follow the game at times.
Let’s hope the football final is consistent with what has been a memorable championship. In his first final, Martin McNally is under a little pressure after general refereeing mistakes disputed decisions in the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
But hurling had the final its disappointing championship promised. Let’s hope it doesn’t become a trend.
