Westmeath boss Joe Fortune unhappy at capital punishment

MAKING HIS POINT: Westmeath manager Joe Fortune. Pic: INPHO/Evan Treacy

Leinster SHC

Dublin 2-23 Westmeath 1-14

Westmeath manager Joe Fortune has hit out at the interpretation of the hand pass rule by referees, querying if match officials have a quota of fouls they must award in each game.

Fortune was disappointed with a number of calls that went against Westmeath during Saturday's 12-point defeat to Dublin at Parnell Park.

Westmeath took an early lead in the encounter thanks to Niall Mitchell's second-minute goal and weren't reeled in until Donal Burke's goal for Dublin just before half-time.

That left the Dubs 1-11 to 1-7 up at half-time and a strong second-half performance, lit up by a terrific Cian Boland solo goal in the 52nd minute, helped propel Micheal Donoghue's side to their first win of the campaign after drawing in Antrim seven days earlier.

Fortune lamented Westmeath's 'workrate in the second half' and conceded that Dublin were the better team overall and that the hosts' substitutes made a big impact. But he expressed disappointment with Galway referee Shane Hynes' handling of the game and suggested that, in general, 'I don't think we tend to get those small decisions when we come to bigger places'.

On the number of frees awarded around the hand pass, Fortune gasped: "How many times? We've put a lot of emphasis in the last three to five months with regard to hand passing. I felt we were called a number of times and it didn't...I just felt at a critical moment in the first half when we were three or four points ahead, a couple of decisions went against us and it's not critical of anything else except the fact that I don't think we tend to get those small decisions when we come to bigger places."

Asked if he felt refs almost have a 'quota' of hand-pass fouls to award each game now, with such a strong focus on what is and isn't a legal hand pass, Fortune nodded. "I'd say it's a fair question. I think from our own perspective, we're putting a big emphasis on making sure that we hand pass the ball (correctly) and I just felt that we were called (incorrectly)."

Fortune, who previously managed the Dublin U-21s as well as top capital side Ballyboden St Enda's to various successes, was also upset with comments he claimed were made by Dublin manager Donoghue at the final whistle.

"Micheal came to me at the end and said 'Hard luck but you went to do one of the Dublin players'," claimed Fortune. "But genuinely, and I'll give you the photo of our tactical setup for the day, there was never a comment or a direction in any way, shape or form in regards to that.

"I'm disappointed with that because I've spent 10 years here. I've won Leinster titles and county titles and whatever. Maybe he thought we were too (physical), in the first-half. Anyway, maybe that's one of the headlines for tomorrow, I'm just disappointed that a comment would be made like that because we came down here to play a game and I thought for 28, 30 minutes we did very well."

Donoghue said he was pleased with the belated victory after rescuing a draw against Antrim the previous weekend with a late score. And with this Saturday's trip to Croke Park to face Wexford in mind, a game that could go a long way towards deciding who claims the third and final knock-out spot in Leinster, Donoghue said it was a must win game against Westmeath.

"It was, yeah, because next weekend is going to be a huge game," he said. "Wexford won themselves so that's a big game for us now. We have to try to put our best foot forward in it. It's a game in Croker as well that the lads are really looking forward to."

Scorers for Dublin: D Burke (1-9, 5 frees); C Boland (1-2); P Crummey, C Burke, D Sutcliffe, A Considine (0-2); M Grogan, C O'Leary, C Donohoe, D Gray (0-1).

Westmeath scorers: C Doyle (0-9, 5 frees); N Mitchell (1-0); E Keyes (0-2); K Regan, D Glennon, J Bermingham (0-1).

DUBLIN: S Brennan; P Doyle, E O'Donnell, P Smyth; C Donohoe, C Burke, D Gray; M Grogan, C O'Leary; C Boland, D Burke, D Sutcliffe; C O'Sullivan, P Crummey, R Hayes.

Subs: A Considine for Hayes, S Currie for Crummey (50); D Power for Grogan (63); J Bellew for O'Donnell (64); F Whitely for Sutcliffe (65).

WESTMEATH: N Conaty; T Doyle, C Shaw, D Egerton; J Bermingham, J Galvin, A Craig; R Greville, G Greville; C McCormack, D Glennon, J Boyle; C Doyle, N Mitchell, K Regan.

Subs: N O'Brien for G Greville (h/t); E Keyes for Boyle (43); D McNicholas for Regan (53); C Boyle for J Galvin (61); D Clinton for Mitchell (65).

Ref: S Hynes (Galway).