John Bannon: Conal McGovern dismissal harsh

In recent years, lots of people, including myself, have been looking for linesmen and umpires to get more involved in assisting referees with making disciplinary calls.

However, the umpire call in yesterday’s game in Celtic Park resulted in a harsh sending off for Down’s Conal McGovern.

McGovern may have raised his hand to push off Enda Lynn but the Derry player went to ground very easy. The umpires made the decision from 45 metres away and with it the momentum of the game changed. There is no reason to push another player around the head area. It’s a red card in soccer but in this instance it was unfair on McGovern.

What was more deserving of a red card instead of the yellow shown by Eddie Kinsella was Peter Fitzpatrick’s challenge on Kevin Johnson. It was a far more dangerous challenge than McGovern’s and merited a red card. In the 64th minute, Fergal Doherty lay on the ball and a free should have been awarded against him instead of the throw-up that was decided.

It happened in Celtic Park just as it happened in O’Connor Park this weekend that injured players were lifted by opposing players. Referees have to stamp out such behaviour on the grounds of safety.

In Thurles, Conor Lehane was fouled by two players for Cork’s penalty, the first one-on-one scored on live TV this championship after Dublin missed one and had another saved on Saturday. Barry Kelly’s umpires were also alert to two calls when each goalkeeper has the bás of the hurley behind the crossbar as they attempted to prevent points. Jake Dillon was unlucky to be blown late on for losing the hurley as it seemed to be stuck under Brian Murphy’s armpit.

Saturday was a rare occasion when the highlight of the hurling-football double bill was the football game. It was far more entertaining than the curtain-raiser and although it seemed there were some easy frees given there was also fine examples of proper tackling by Emmet Bolton and Mark Timmons who showed you can win the ball without fouling. Compliments too must be afforded to Cormac Reilly whose fitness looked as strong in the 69th minute as it did in the first.

Even though Galway ended up with eight yellow cards in the Leinster SHC quarter-final replay, one of which was for Joe Canning it seemed watching it in the stadium that Dublin goalkeeper Alan Nolan was the only one of the two deserving of a yellow card. However, taking a second look at it on TV later Canning did make a provocative gesture after scoring and he was involved in a bearhug with Nolan as they fell to the ground.

Dublin can count themselves lucky not to have lost Ryan O’Dwyer to a second yellow card after a late swing on Iarla Tannian in the 36th minute. Cian Boland and Eamon Dillon also committed cardable offences late on but neither were shown anything.

Dublin’s second penalty should in fact have been a free out to Galway as Ryan O’Dwyer charged.