Doherty clears up extra-time confusion during minor clash

GAA national match officials manager Pat Doherty has revealed he informed both Galway and Clare before the end of normal time in Sunday’s All-Ireland MHC semi-final that there would be extra-time if they finished level.

Doherty, who is also the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) secretary, was the person on duty on the sideline for Sunday’s games.

However, he also acknowledged there was no notification of the provision in the match programme, as is usually the case, and it “very possibly” could have been better promoted.

Both counties’ management teams expressed surprise at the game not going to replay after the sides finished 1-15 apiece at the end of normal time.

RTÉ were also taken aback by the development. However, Doherty pointed out extra-time if necessary is applicable to minor semi-finals in both hurling and football.

“The fact is there’s a provision for extra-time in minor semi-finals and that’s what’s in the rules,” said Doherty.

“I did go to each set of county board officials before the end of normal time to tell them there would be extra-time if the sides were level at full-time. I informed Joe Byrne as well as Michael O’Neill and Pat Fitzgerald of Clare and that was it. They acknowledged what I told them.

“They would also have had the same rule book as we have as well as the master fixtures.

“People seem to have been surprised more so because there hasn’t been a drawn minor semi-final in a long while.”

The extra-time meant the senior semi-final between Kilkenny and Waterford was delayed by almost 20 minutes. Doherty admitted the provision of extra-time might have been better communicated.

There was no mention of it in the match programme, in the fixture press release earlier in the week or in the pre-match announcements at Croke Park.

“Very possibly, it could have been (promoted better),” he agreed.

“Maybe it should, maybe it shouldn’t but the simple fact is that the counties should have been aware of it.

“Was I obliged to have informed both counties beforehand? I wouldn’t have thought so.

“It wasn’t in the match programme where it has been for previous games such as the All-Ireland quarter-finals.”