Cribbin accuses ref of ‘destroying’ game

OFFALY manager Tom Cribbin accused referee Derek Fahy of “destroying” yesterday’s opening game in Portlaoise with his decision to send John Coughlan off two minutes after the interval.

Meath were two points in front when the Dublin-born midfielder was punished for elbowing Anthony Moyles and Eamon O’Brien’s side ended up winning by 10 points.

“I think he destroyed a very good quality game and we’ve a very young team there and there’s a lot of good young forwards as well as experienced guys … that’s going to be very, very difficult for them to take, to keep getting knocks like that. You need a bit of a break.”

Cribbin was also unhappy with Fahy’s decision to call a halt to the first-half moments after Niall McNamee had a shot saved by the legs of goalkeeper Paddy O’Rourke.

Fahy spread his arms out as if to indicate a penalty and the confusion led to furious protests from the Offaly players one of whom, midfielder Ciaran McManus, was subsequently shown a yellow card.

Cribbin would do well to dwell on his team’s performances rather than such perceived injustices however as Meath were capable of scoring at will throughout yesterday’s first round Leinster Championship tie.

His counterpart Eamon O’Brien conceded that they had won the game comfortably in the end although he did accept that Coughlan’s departure helped secure the spoils for his side.

“At the end of the day we won reasonably comfortably,” said the Meath manager. “We had a few dodgy wides in the first-half, two goals probably against the run of play. We knew coming down that Offaly had good forwards that could cause if problems.

“We didn’t worry too much about it because it can result in a self-fulfilling prophecy but they had a very good full-forward line, we knew that.

“The sending-off probably changed the course of the game in a sense that it enabled us to defend more easily and build a platform for victory from there on.”