Cuthbert frustrated by penalty decision

Most of the 35,000-plus in Fitzgerald Stadium didn’t see Brian Cuthbert’s reaction at the final whistle, but he articulated it well enough in the aftermath to conjure up a revealing picture of despair.

And not just with Kerry’s last second equaliser.

“You know my view quite well,” he shrugged when quizzed about the award of a decisive second half penalty to Kerry by Armagh referee Pádraig Hughes.

“It was no penalty. If anything it was a free out. Because Mark Collins went for the ball and he got there first. In Gaelic football when you get there first, and if there’s a collision, normally it’s the guy in control of the ball who gets the advantage. Whereas this time… like, I better not say anymore because the rules are there but I’m very disappointed (with that decision).”

Disappointment was a word that punctuated Cuthbert’s conversation with the fourth estate afterwards. The frustration at seeing a shot at victory snatched from their grasp only compounded by some decisions from the man in the middle that the Cork manager struggled hard to steer clear of.

Referring to the incidents of pulling players down, Cuthbert felt there was inconsistencies in the sanction. “If you pull a fella down (as Paul Kerrigan did) it is a black card. We have got two of them. If you pull a fella down around the neck it is the same as pulling a fella down, but that it is a yellow card supposedly (as per cautions for Johnny Buckley and Kieran Donaghy). I don’t know the difference. I am not a referee.”