O’Neill: Ref told me there was ’a minute or so‘ left

Colm O’Neill last night claimed referee Cormac Reilly told him there was "a minute or so" remaining of injury-time just before he converted a 73rd minute free, which turned out to be the second last kick of the game.

The fourth official had signalled for at least two minutes of additional time, but O’Neill kicked over a close-range free believing there was still more time to be added.

However, Reilly blew for full-time a second or two after Rob Hennelly kicked out the ball following O’Neill’s free, which cut the margin to a point.

O’Neill remonstrated with the Meath referee afterwards and as he boarded the team bus last evening he informed members of the media he had been told there was still enough time remaining to score an equaliser.

Mayo themselves suffered a similar fate in last year’s All-Ireland final against Dublin when Cillian O’Connor kicked over a free in injury-time having consulted with referee Joe McQuillan about the amount left on the clock.

Manager Brian Cuthbert backed his player’s version of events.

“I saw him have a conversation with the referee same as everyone else. Then he put the ball down and stroked it over the bar. Colm is an intelligent guy so I presume, whatever conversation he had with the referee, he deducted from that he had time.”

However, he refused to blame the referee for Cork’s defeat.

“The lesson for us is don’t put yourself in a position where you’re hanging on for a last-minute free to decide whether you’re going to have to go for a goal or wait for more time.

“The bottom line is I’m immensely proud of the players, I thought we did very, very well. We hit a bit of a rocky patch and that cost us the game. That’s it.

“But, their character was questioned; their desire was questioned, and I would like to think they answered that today.”

He added: “We’re certainly not looking at the referee as to why we’re not going on to the semi-final. We just left ourselves with too much of a hill to climb after half-time, going in six or seven points down. I’d be immensely proud of my guys, they gave everything they’ve got.”

Cuthbert chose not to respond to James Horan’s claims the Cork management had hit “a new low” in singling out Cillian O’Connor and Kevin McLoughlin as players who make “little fouls” earlier in the week.

“James is entitled to his opinion. Mayo are going forward, best of luck to them, well done.”

But he revealed his opposite number chose not to shake his hand at the end of the game. “It’s his own business. I put up my hand to shake it. That’s his own business. I’ve nothing to say on that.”

Cuthbert was delighted with the fight Cork took to Mayo, especially in the first half.

“It was an All-Ireland quarter-final, there was everything at stake and certainly I felt we were up for it. We’d a lot of intensity about us. It looked a lot different than Páirc Uí Chaoimh (Munster final) anyway.

“But that spell after half time was the turning of the game. If it was two or three points, but when you’re seven points it’s a lot. But at the same time, we could have been there or thereabouts at the end.”

Reviewing the season, he believes it has been a fruitful one aside from the Kerry game last month and 20 minutes of yesterday’s game.

“In the space of 14 months, nine of that starting team have made their debuts in championship football so that is a massive turnover in a season and a half and they showed today that they are up to the standard.

“(They) lost by a point and I would be very hopeful they would be there or thereabouts very, very soon.

“We will dust ourselves down and go again.”