Irate Carlow boss Dempsey fumes over ref justice
Man of the match Brendan Murphy was penalised by Curley some 25 metres from goal after brilliantly fetching a long-range delivery from Darragh Foley.
With home supporters at Dr Cullen Park screaming for a free in as Murphy found himself surrounded by Dublin defenders and unable to release the ball, Meath whistler Curley instead blew for a free out to the Sky Blues.
It was a decision that incensed Carlow and Curley received a Garda escort from the pitch after the game.
Dempsey could find himself facing a disrepute charge from Croke Park after remonstrating with the match official after the final whistle.
But Dempsey admitted yesterday that he was still “feeling very angry” about the late call which went against his team, who fell to a 0-14 to 0-13 defeat.
Dempsey said: “I’m still feeling very angry. There was so much work put in by those Carlow players and the last thing you want to see is continuous Garda escorts for referees.”
Curley also found himself at the centre of a storm last month when DCU scored a controversial one-point victory against Louth in the O’Byrne Cup final.
Curley blew for full-time when the ball was still in play but under the experimental rules currently in force, the ball must be out of play before the game ends.
Dempsey added: “All managers want is perceived fair play.
“There is nobody a day later who has come to me and said that this wasn’t a blatant free in, that would have tied the match and brought it to a replay.
“It’s as blatant a free as I’ve ever witnessed and there was no justification for giving a free out. Once he didn’t give the free in immediately, he then took the easy option and blew up as it was time for him to get out of Dr Cullen Park.
“It was most frustrating after the effort that the Carlow and Dublin players put in. It was an epic match and extra-time was played out in marvellous fashion.
“But the amount of times that Brendan Murphy was fouled was brought to his attention as well. Two yellow cards merits a sending off but to think that nobody got two yellow cards was a reward for persistent and blatant fouling.”
Dempsey explained the late call against Murphy, as he saw it.
He said: “Darragh Foley took a brilliant long kick that was fielded by Murphy.
“He was brought to ground by the attempted catch of a Dublin player and blatantly fouled. Three or four Dublin players were standing around him as he tried to get up but the free went against him.
“There was initial contact on Murphy as he caught the ball and he certainly didn’t want to fall himself.
“Even the Dublin management looked bemused about it and had their tails between their legs with this victory, a pyrrhic victory.
An irate Dempsey added: “Normally I get over a match quickly but this was an outrageous decision.
“There’s something in the psyche of a ref that favours the stronger county.”
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