'Some people just like to be the centre of attention': McGeeney takes aim at ref Gough

Referee David Gough during the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Dublin and Armagh at Croke Park. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

DUBLIN 1-25 (1-2-21) ARMAGH 2-24 (2-2-20) 

Add this to the Armagh avert adversity pile. Eleven points and a man down, they completed a stunning 13-point swing to basically remain in Division 1. At least for the time being.

File Kieran McGeeney’s post-match press briefing as another absorbing encounter. Indignation, self-deprecation, frustration, humour — it had it all. And it’s evident his relationship with referee David Gough is strained.

Will this be the victory that Dublin threw away and result that cost them their top-flight status?

If so, Ger Brennan will rue how his team folded in the second half having built up such a handsome lead. Beating Galway in Salthill on Sunday will ensure this game is forgotten in a hurry.

On the flipside, it’s a result that will ensure the Box-It Athletic Grounds will be packed for the visit of Kerry that same afternoon. Combined with a Galway win over Monaghan, that game would have made redundant and Armagh doomed had they not turned the tables here.

And yet McGeeney was not happy. There was his side’s first-half display he described as “shocking” and the performance of Gough, which was the biggest takeaway from his 15-minute interview afterwards.

McGeeney had walked towards Gough to speak his mind before a half-time row developed between the players and backroom team members. The flashpoint afforded the Armagh manager the opportunity to make his point further to the match official.

On the resumption of play, McGeeney was booked and for his dissent Dublin were awarded a 20-metre free, which Niall Scully sent over. Another home point followed and with Jarly Óg Burns sin binned for his involvement in the interval fracas matters looked stark for the 2024 All-Ireland champions.

In last April’s Ulster semi-final, Gough had punished McGeeney for kicking a sideline flag with a free for Tyrone, which they then had the option of making a two-point version and converted.

McGeeney admitted he was “embarrassed” to have again cost his team but his view of Gough was dimmer.

“Some people just like to be the centre of attention and you just have to give it to them, because that’s all that is.

“Until something’s done to improve those things, I don’t know. But luckily there’s videos so everybody can watch those and make up their own mind.

“The thing about it is when you don’t have rules you can say whatever you like. That’s about the only good thing about breaches. We can watch back and you can say when they’re right or wrong. Last week against Mayo, there were three full breaches in the second half. You can point things out.

“But every time you’re pointing to a rule in Gaelic, whether it’s the advantage rule or the tackle rule or the steps rule, there’s always an excuse. So, listen, you just have to leave it at that.”

McGeeney took issue with the discretion Gough used applying the advantage rule. “The advantage, it lasts 15 seconds of another game, 12, 13 seconds, and we’re getting four or five and just waiting until they take the chance and it goes down. It’s very, very frustrating.

“People sort of say it’s down to the referee’s interpretation, and that’s where things always fall asunder. You can’t have a personal opinion on the game. You either apply the rules or you don’t.

“You just can’t, because when it comes down to personal opinions, it’ll come down to likes and dislikes. The way you like playing football or the way you don’t like football being played. You just can’t do that.

“You can’t have one rule one week and a different rule the next. That’s not the way sport’s supposed to be played. And, you know, it’s always sort of pushed to this. I shouldn’t be sort of talking about him, but, again, I was just keeping my mouth shut.”

By the time Burns returned to the fray, Armagh had narrowed their arrears to seven points and they hit Dublin with flurries of scores before eventually tying up the game in the 64th minute. Six minutes before that, Brian Howard and Tiernan Kelly were both booked and sent off for an off-the-ball incident.

Oisín Conaty delivered an excellent Owen Mulligan impression to score the match-changing goal less than three minutes from time (just the third goal Armagh have scored in this campaign). Ross McQuillan tagged on a fisted point and while Paddy Small’s two-pointer offered Dublin hope, Cormac Costello’s late attempt to tie the game with another was skewed.

Brennan had double the reason to be dejected. Luke Breathnach, so deadly in the first half with four points, appeared to damage the shoulder that sidelined him in 2025. Niall Scully had also been excellent in a first half they led 1-15 to 1-6, Ross McGarry’s goal coming in the fourth minute and Cian McConville’s in the 21st.

“We lost our way in the second half,” said Brennan, who again referenced failings with his experienced players. “New rules or no new rules, we should have managed our way over the course of the 35-minute second half, but again you have to give credit to Armagh. They didn’t let us do what we would have liked to do and they worked harder and they out-muscled us on a number of occasions and there’s definitely a lot of learning in there for certainly some of our new lads. I think it’ll be a great experience for them.

“Some of our older fellas have been around the block, they’ll probably have to do a bit of soul-searching now in the next seven days.”

Scorers for Dublin: P Small (0-6, 1 tp); N Scully (0-5, 2 frees); L Breathnach, S Bugler (1 tp) (0-4 each); K McGinnis (0-3); R McGarry (1-0); E Kennedy (0-2); C Costello (0-1).

Scorers for Armagh: C McConville (0-2 frees), O Conaty (1-3 each); O O’Neill (0-5, 1 tpf, 3 frees); T McCormack, C Turbitt (1 tp), R McQuillan (0-3 each); J Duffy (0-2); B Crealey, C O’Neill (free) (0-1 each).

DUBLIN: H O’Sullivan; D Byrne, N Doran, E Murchan; A Gavin, B Howqrd, E Kennedy; P Ó Cofaigh-Byrne, C McMorrow; N Scully, S Bugler, L Breathnach; P Small, K McGinnis, R McGarry.

Subs: S MacMahon for N Doran (16); C Costello for L Breathnach (inj 47); C Kilkenny for R McGarry (51); N Doran for S MacMahon (52); L Smith for D Byrne (inj 66).

Red card: B Howard (58, double yellow).

ARMAGH: B Hughes; P McGrane, G Murphy, A McKay; R McQuillan, D McMullan, J Burns; C O’Neill, B Crealey; T McCormack, G McCabe, T Kelly; C McConville, J Duffy, O Conaty.

Subs: O O’Neill for C O’Neill (h-t); P Burns for A McKay (blood, 43-45); C Turbitt for J Duffy (52); P Burns for A McKay (61); A Forker for D McMullan (69).

Black card: J Burns (35-45).

Red card: T Kelly (58, double yellow).

Referee: D Gough (Meath).