Cody defends team discipline after sending-off

BRIAN CODY last night defended his Kilkenny team’s discipline in the face of Eoin Larkin’s sending off and a couple of other extreme exchanges involving his players during their 0-22 to 1-7 defeat to Dublin in yesterday’s Allianz Hurling Division 1 final.

There is a possibility defender John Dalton will face a sanction for his attack on Conor McCormack at the end of the first-half, an incident which wasn’t seen by referee Michael Wadding while TV footage also showed Richie Hogan lashing out at a Dublin player in setting up Eddie Brennan for Kilkenny’s 10th minute goal.

Asked if he was happy with his team’s discipline, Cody said: “Yeah, I was. It certainly wasn’t a dirty game by any means at all.”

Cody also argued Larkin’s 25th minute sending off for an incident with McCormack was harsh: “I’d have complaints over the sending off, I didn’t think it was a sending off. He turned, he reacted.

“There was no strike involved in that. That’s a pushing motion. Certainly, I would have a problem with that.”

Cody also defended Larkin’s good character. “The player we lost was in the game, he was on the ball. It’s frustrating because he’s one of the cleanest players I’ve ever, ever, ever been associated with.”

Despite all that, Cody insisted he had no issues with the referee.

“I don’t have a problem with the referee’s performance. I think the referee went on the word of a linesman or something. I don’t criticise referees. I thought it was a tough sending off but I don’t have a problem with referees.”

The Kilkenny boss didn’t see the tussle between Dalton and McCormack, which saw McCormack requiring medical attention. TV footage showed McCormack shouldering Dalton after having a goal disallowed after which Dalton reacted.

Cody added: “I’ve no idea what happened at the end of the first-half, I haven’t a clue, to be honest. In fairness, Dublin should have had a goal, I thought. To blow the half-time whistle in a situation where a team is attacking is a very strange thing to do. I would have had no complaints if he had blown the whistle if the ball was out of danger but they certainly would have got a goal there.”