John Bannon: Ulster clash tough for referee

Of the three televised games this weekend, the most difficult match to officiate was the Donegal v Derry Ulster semi-final in Clones.

In the third minute, Caolan O’Boyle took seven steps with the ball before he was confronted by two Donegal defenders who made contact. After that, he took five further steps and yet was awarded a free. With all the talk about tackling at the moment, it’s almost impossible to defend when a player is allowed to over-carry not once but twice.

Steps was also an issue for Martin O’Reilly’s goal for Donegal in the 45th minute. He took at least seven steps before scoring it. In the eighth minute, Paul Durcan threw the ball to Eamon McGee but wasn’t blown.