Dunne rues close call but urges players to play on

Liam Dunne didn’t want to make a huge issue of it — noting Diarmuid Kirwan performed decently — but he admitted the referee’s decision not to stop play for attention to Tomás Waters was damaging for Wexford.

The full-back was later discovered to have suffered a suspected a knee cruciate injury after falling awkwardly in the second half of Saturday’s All-Ireland qualifier.

In the time Waters was on the ground, Clare stuck over two points and, although Jack Guiney’s goal forced extra-time, it was a crucial period in the game.

Dunne said: “I thought the referee had a very good game but the fact our full-back was down with cruciate ligament damage — that’s what the doctors have told me — and Clare scored two points in that time was a little harsh on Wexford.”

The Wexford County Board could be facing a rap across from the knuckles from Croke Park this week after referee Kirwan was criticised on their official Twitter account.

Live score updates were issued from their handle, although there were also editorial comments such as “getting nothing from this ref” and “once again questionable inaction from ref”.

Dunne isn’t a man you would ascribe a persecution complex to, but he harked back to another dubious refereeing decision that impacted upon them against Dublin in their first Leinster quarter-final game. Although he was delighted to prove some people wrong with his side’s battling display.

He said: “We were only filling a fixture, that’s all that anyone talked about or wrote about. We’d guys who were thinking a little bit different.

“I felt we beat Dublin in the first round of the championship as well and only for, in fairness, Mark Schutte dropping his hurl and handpassed the ball and Dublin got a goal with three minutes to go they wouldn’t be Leinster champions. We would have beaten them, but nobody ever comments on that other than what happened the following week in Parnell Park but, look it, we move on.”

On the subject of his future after finishing his two-year term, Dunne joked: “I don’t know what’s going to happen. Maybe [Leinster-winning U21 manager] JJ Doyle will take it!”

Dunne suspects one or two players may retire, but he pleaded with everyone to commit to the 2014 season.

“The eldest guy is probably 30. Conor McDonald (17) is only a minor but my theory on this was if they’re good enough they’re old enough. We’ve tried to change things.

“I looked for help from Croke Park and they gave me help. [Director of games development] Pat Daly was very good [in making Paudie Butler available for coaching] and thank God I’ve Gerry Fitzpatrick as a trainer.

“I hope to God he stays on involved in Wexford no matter what happens because he’s a vital cog in this.”