Advantage anomaly surfaces once more

I was in Croke Park yesterday and it would be stressing the obvious to say James McGrath let the game flow.

He allowed quite a bit of advantage, but for followers of Gaelic games, it must be quite confusing when players get the five seconds of advantage in football before a free is awarded and yet there is no such reward in hurling.

McGrath played good advantage in the build-up to Kilkenny’s goal on the stroke of half-time. However, there were occasions when he signalled to play on when the advantage was of no benefit to the player fouled.

In the 10th minute, he could have awarded four frees but chose to let the play develop. He was right to penalise Gavin O’Mahony for lying on the ball in the 40th minute, as he was when penalising Donal O’Grady for catching the ball three times.

But he made an error in not sending off O’Grady for a second bookable offence when the Limerick captain tripped Richie Power. He showed no card and it might also have been a penalty, although he did consult with his linesmen and umpires. Instead, a 20- metre free was awarded.

Onto Saturday’s football, and in my own experience, the most difficult game I ever refereed was a National League game between Armagh and Donegal. Having watched the counties’ latest game, I can say things haven’t changed all that much in 16 years.

The push on the Donegal team doctor by Aaron Findon was the biggest flashpoint of the first half. Team medical officials are permitted to enter the field of play once they are given the go-ahead by the referee. But often we see them come onto the pitch without the referee’s authorisation.

In the 18th minute, Michael Murphy was allowed to make a one-handed pass to Anthony Thompson and then later in the game a two-handed throw. The Armagh players complained to Joe McQuillan about it and the ball was brought forward 13 metres.

Aidan Forker struck Leo McLoone with a closed fist although, only for replays, it would have been hard to see the incident. Forker also lost a free for his team by retaliating. Otherwise, McQuillan controlled the game fairly well.

In the Dublin-Monaghan game, Marty Duffy got the majority of calls right but he made a mistake in not showing Eoghan O’Gara a black card in the third minute for a foul on Colin Walshe.

He was on the money when he punished Dessie Mone for touching the ball on the ground in the 16th minute, just as he was in disallowing O’Gara’s 22nd minute fisted ’goal’ to the net.

Bernard Brogan attempted to convince the umpires that the ball had touched a Monaghan player before it passed the goal-line, but Duffy’s officials were not hoodwinked.