Kilkenny and Tipperary will review footage before making decisions on contesting red cards

Four players were shown red cards during the Allianz Hurling League game between Kilkenny and Tipperary.

Referee Sean Stack shows a red card to Kilkenny's Mikey Carey. His teammates David Blanchfield and Jordan Molloy, along with Tipperary's Alan Tynan, were also sent off on Sunday. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

Kilkenny appear set to contest the straight red cards of their half-backs David Blanchfield and Mikey Carey as manager Derek Lyng said he “didn’t see a red card today”.

Along with Jordan Molloy for a second yellow card offence and Tipperary’s Alan Tynan who was instantly dismissed, referee Seán Stack sent off four players in UPMC Nowlan Park.

Lyng feels referees have come under too much pressure to act on fouls. “There’s a lot of frustration and I feel sorry for the refs,” he said. “I’m giving out to the sideline today because you’re frustrated, you have three red cards. But there was a couple of incidents last week, nobody’s going out to hurt anybody else.

“Nobody has gone out to a hurling field to hurt anybody else. Sometimes there’s a loose hurl and these things can happen – it’s a fast game and there has to be a bit of common sense.

“Officials coming hard on the refs because they’re not giving red cards and yellow cards is not good enough in my opinion. It’s not fair on the referees first of all. They’re trying to do their job to the best of their own ability and they’re seeing what’s in front of them.

“If there is a deserved red card, absolutely but, Jesus lads, I didn’t see a red card today. Look, I haven’t them back from… again, I wouldn’t blame the refs and the officials at it, it’s a hard job but I think they need to be backed on their own judgement on the day as well. They’re there for a reason to let the game run as well as best as possible.” 

Lyng will review the footage of the Blanchfield and Carey incidents before a decision is taken to approach the Central Hearings Committee. As things stand, the pair will be suspended for the visit of Limerick on Saturday. 

“I didn’t think there was any malicious intent in them at all but we’ll have to look back on it.” 

Tipperary’s Liam Cahill will also review the footage of Tynan’s contact with Cian Kenny. "I think the game definitely petered out after the sendings off. Look, just concentrating on our own one with Alan, I didn't see it, to be honest. I believe there wasn't a whole lot in it.

“But having said that, look lads, there's a lot of pressure put on these referees at the moment. It's serious stuff, it's a job that I wouldn't like to be doing at the moment.

"I suppose we'll look at the video footage in relation to that incident.” 

Cahill believes asking referees to make judgement calls on head-high fouls is asking a lot. 

“It is a dangerous challenge and it has to be stamped out. I absolutely agree with that 100%. But the ferocity that's there now at inter-county level with the way these guys are conditioned and the way they commit to the tackle, it's very difficult on a referee sometimes to be able to make that decision there and then.”