Ref Lane in firing line as irate Derry boss quits
There was nearly as many fireworks after the game as there was during it, but in the end Galway wound up easy winners over Derry at Pearse Stadium and a place in the last 12 of the championship is theirs.
As everyone at the game began to drip dry in the moments after the full-time whistle, Derry manager Brian McIver resigned as manager citing his anger at the performance of referee Conor Lane as one of the mitigating factors.
“The straw that broke the camel’s back” as McIver put it, was the referee’s decision not to award a penalty to Cailean O’Boyle in the 62nd minute. O’Boyle looked certain to palm Eoin Bradley’s pass into the Galway net to put a point between the sides, but the chance was lost following a clash with Finain Hanley. Incredibly Hanley was not sanctioned and, to make matters worse, Galway countered expertly down the right wing through Liam Silke and Danny Cummins fired the winning goal.
McIver, in his final act as Derry boss, didn’t hide his displeasure at Lane’s display.
“Players should be deciding matches not referees, but that is a match totally decided by the referee,” said McIver.
“I had spoken to the players during the week. Conor Lane, I said, is a referee that comes with no agenda. By God he came with some agenda today.
“We prepared as well, we work as hard as anybody in the country. Had we got the breaks, that is a match we should have been winning.
“But it is so, so tough whenever you are playing your football and you put a hand on a man at the other end of the field (and you are penalised). That has been happening regularly because the standard of the refereeing ... everything in the GAA has moved on so much over the last while and yet the standard of refereeing is absolutely brutal,” he lashed.
McIver has grounds to be vexed with some of Lane’s decisions, but by and large, on a desperately hard evening for officiating, the Corkman got most judgement calls correct.
He actually awarded two frees more to Derry over the 70 minutes.
Kevin Walsh will be delighted with his day’s work. His side have sidled into the last 12 of the competition – they discover their opponents in this morning’s draw – and he has players back and fully fit in his squad following some long term absentees. One man to regain his jersey at the weekend was Gareth Bradshaw and the Moycullen man was outstanding for Galway. Alongside him Gary O’Donnell got through a mountain of work, Shane Walsh made an appearance after his broken wrist, while Gary Sice and Cummins put in a real determined showing up front.
But the Galway boss has plenty to work on too. His side’s first point from play only arrived from Bradshaw in first-half stoppage time. Gary’s O’Donnell’s great point from the right in the 51st minute restored their two-point interval lead, but it also proved to be the last point his side scored from play. From the starting forwards only Cummins scored from play – his goal seven minutes from the end – while the hard working Micheal Lundy, Peadar Óg Ó Griofa and Damien Comer failed to shine in attack. But Galway, and Sice in particular, kicked their frees when they came along and will be happy now to face the Connacht or Ulster runners-up in two weekends’ time.
“It wasn’t what was on the scoreboard for me, it was about their workrate and how they were sticking together as a team,” said Walsh.
“That can often be camouflaged at half time when you get one or two flukey goals. That wasn’t the case. We’re happy that the performance up to half time was good enough. It was about being patient against the duvet. We’ll have a few words and we’ll get back to training on Tuesday night. Wherever we go, we’ll have to take on the next opponent and we’ll just keep going.”
After a strong Derry start to the second-half, Danny Cummins earned Galway a scoreable free with some typical determined play. Two minutes later, Gary O’Donnell added a great score from the right. The momentum swung in favour of the hosts.
Brian McIver speaking his mind after the game. The ex-Derry boss lashed the match official for not awarding a penalty. He also stepped down as manager.
Gary Sice’s brilliant chip pick under pressure in the lead up to O’Donnell’s point was sublime.
Kevin Walsh gets the plaudits here.
Gary Sice and Gareth Bradshaw gain admirable mentions, but O’Donnell played a real leader’s role at the heart of the Galway defence. A real rock at the back.
Conor Lane came in for some over the top treatment afterwards. He was correct to black card Brendan Rogers for a trip in the first-half, but should have awarded a penalty to Derry.
Galway are into Round 4B and discover their opponents this morning. Derry are out and managerless.
B O’Donoghue; J Duane, F Hanley, C Sweeney; L Silke, G O’Donnell (0-1), G Bradshaw (0-1); F Ó Curraoin, T Flynn; G Sice (0-7, 7f), P Conroy (0-2, 2f), M Lundy; P Óg Ó Griofa, D Comer, D Cummins (1-0).
T Mallon; O Duffy, B Rogers, D McBride; L McGoldrick, C McKaigue, SL McGoldrick; N Holly, F Doherty; B Heron (0-2, 2f), M Lynch, E Lynn; D Heavron (0-3), E Bradley (0-1), C O’Boyle (0-1).
B O’Donoghue; J Duane, F Hanley, C Sweeney; L Silke, G O’Donnell, G Bradshaw; F Ó Curraoin, T Flynn; G Sice, P Conroy, M Lundy; P Óg Ó Griofa, D Comer, D Cummins
P Sweeney for Ó Gríofa (46); S Walsh for Conroy (65); S Denvir for Lundy (69); A Varley for Comer (69); for Cummins (Black 73).
T Mallon; O Duffy, B Rogers, D McBride; L McGoldrick, C McKaigue, SL McGoldrick; N Holly, F Doherty; B Heron, M Lynch, E Lynn; D Heavron, E Bradley, C O’Boyle.
N McKaigue for Rogers (Black 29); E McGuckin for Lynch (HT); P Bradley for Holly (53); M McIver for L McGoldrick (53); N Forrester (0-1) for Lynn (60); C Murphy for Heavron (Black 69).
Conor Lane (Cork)
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