Referee was out of step, says Lucey
In virtually the last move of the game, defender Lucey strode forward and was about to crown a dramatic comeback with the levelling point. But, before he could tap the ball over the bar, referee Pádraig Hughes pulled the player up for over-carrying and Meath escaped with a one point win.
Dual player Lucey said he has reviewed footage of his solo run and believes referee Hughes got the crucial call wrong.
“Yeah, I think so,” said Lucey. “I saw the replay of it and I bounced it on the fifth step. But, again, the referee has a hard job. He made a reflex call. If he hadn’t done it the ball was gone over the bar and it was a drawn game.”
The narrow defeat means Limerick’s season ended with two one-point losses, to Cork in the Munster final and now Meath.
“It was tough to lose by a point again in the second match running,” added Lucey.
“You’ll only really look back over the winter and realise that you were close but no cigar.”
Lucey’s season isn’t over though as he’ll be on hurling duty on Sunday week in the All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary.
It will be one of the last inter-county senior games played where players don’t have to wear protective helmets.
From January 1 it will becompulsory for senior players to wear helmets, a rule that was brought in a number of seasons ago at underage levels.
Lucey, a medical doctor who wears a helmet, predicted many older players who don’t wear helmets will follow the lead of former Cork hurler Diarmuid O’Sullivan who recently said he’ll retire instead of changing the habit of a lifetime.
“I know there are a couple of fellas in my club that won’t play hurling next year and they are only about 31,” said Croom man Lucey. “They won’t play and I’d say it’s the same in every club and county in the country.
“I’d say there should be an amnesty for a couple of years until those lads have retired.
“Most of the young lads are used to them and have never played without them. There are certainly a number of good hurlers who won’t play any more and that is an awful shame.”
Waterford hurler John Mullane doesn’t wear a protective helmet but says he will do so from January 1.
“I had a serious eye injury before and it’s my decision not to wear one,” said Mullane, who suffered bleeding in the retina in 2003.
“But if it can prevent a serious injury happening in the future it’s a good thing.”
Mullane added: “I tend to wear it a lot with my club so it won’t be too much of a factor for me.
“But for other players it will be a major thing trying to get used to it.
“The likes of Sean Óg O hAilpín, Dan Shanahan, Ken McGrath don’t wear helmets and they’re iconic figures.”
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