Photo: The 42
It’s now been confirmed (with thanks to @clubmayo for the heads-up) that, arising from yesterday’s fractious All-Ireland semi-final, the CCCC is proposing what the Irish Times states “is believed to be” a one-match ban for Dublin’s Diarmuid Connolly following the red card he was issued late in the game. The disciplinary body is not proposing any sanctions on other players arising from the match.
It’s almost certain that Dublin will appeal the recommended ban (they’ve nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain from doing so) and if they do a CHC hearing will need to be held between now and Saturday to decide whether or not it should be upheld.
In related news, the former refereeing head buck cat Pat McEnaney has added his tuppence to yesterday’s events. In an interview with Balls.ie (here) the man who made such a horse’s arse of refereeing the 1996 All-Ireland reckons that Philly McMahon didn’t head-butt Aidan O’Shea (he was clearly better placed than Aido was, then). His best line comes at the end of the interview, though, where he says that Jonny Cooper’s disgusting rake on Diarmuid O’Connor was “borderline” but that he too would have given the Na Fianna clubman a yellow card as “he’s not that type of player”.
Never mind what the foul was, assess the colour of card on your opinion of the player doing the fouling. Sure, that logic could only be used by someone entrusted to be the GAA’s refereeing chief. You truly couldn’t make this stuff up, could you?
That’s a shocking comment by McEnaney. Shocking.
That rake by Cooper was disgraceful, he could have broken his leg. No other sport would tolerate that.
What type of player did he think Liam McHale was?
He truly is a horrible little man
Animal farm shit going on there for sure WJ, we better take our pecking orders.
Oh and how McMahon is getting off is beyond me. What exactly does one have to do to be banned? Thought McMahon ticked all the boxes yesterday.
On a totally separate note, I was amused to hear you say in your audio piece that it looked like it was going to be the biggest semi final beating since ’85, Willie Joe. Dunno how you managed to block out ’93, but if you have any tips, please divulge!!
Do u think Cluxton deliberately kicked that free wide knowing that Connolly would get his one match ban out of the way in time for the final agInt Kerry?
Is Connolly gone did you see his reaction after getting sent he was furious tackle on doc was awful so will cooper get away with it?
There afraid of rocking the boat too much. If there was 3 Dublin lads out for game there would be uproar.So they won’t cite McMahon or Cooper and more likely than not will uphold the one match ban on Connolly. There must be some way or wording rules that can make the referees more consistent. I don’t believe they deliberately try and fuck a team up with a bad call. I just think they are under a lot of pressure and in the heat of the moment they make that decision and have to stand by it. I think people can accept that the ref is human and will make bad calls at times but I also feel if referees are consistent we supporters can handle the bad calls.
I was referring to semi-finals against Dublin, Connelly’s Brigade, so the infamous 1993 match (which thankfully I missed as it was on the day after I got married) wasn’t on my radar. I was a tad exercised when I did the audio so maybe I didn’t get my point across clearly.
I’m not all that surprised that McMahon hasn’t been cited. I reckon the CCCC are afraid it could look like a bit of the witch hunt if two Dubs are hauled in. I also believe that gives them a little more scope to defend the ban for Connolly.
After all – and I know he’s a club man of yours WJ – it is very much in his nature.
Have watched coopers tackle a number of times since y day..mceneanys view of the incident borders on farcical..cooper looks like a ninja when you watch in slow motion…
There was bad blood between the sides before the game but it has upped a few more levels. Some disgraceful comments on Mayo GAA banter page and Dublins Hill 16 page calling players everything from scum to rats. Both counties also insulting each other.
These are amateur players, slogging it out all year for days like yesterday. With stakes so high sparks fly. I’ve said it here befor but Facebok really brings out the animals in people. Well done to WJ for keeping thing civil here.
It would help if the GAA changed their policy on umpires and allowed people who are not deaf, dumb and stone blind do the job. For a game where the ref has 6 officials with him, he got very little help.
Very poor by mcenaney…lends credence to players like galvin’s view that they suffered bad calls based on reputation….”seems they were that kind of player”. Never thought I’d see a ref of his supposed standing make a comment like that.
Having viewed that footage recorded by a supporter of the Connolly incident many times I would say Connolly has a case of getting it rescinded, in the lead up to it twice Keegan and Connolly push each other away around shoulder height then its Keegan who drags Connolly to the ground with a headlock, there is definitely what looks like a striking action by Connolly then but if he brings a strong case to the cccc he can say he was trying to defend himself as he was in a headlock, we can all guess what happened but I can’t see any conclusive footage that shows there was a clean strike on Keegan.
This was pretty much to be expected.
If McMahon was cited, you can be sure Cillian would also – there’s no way they’d want this looking lopsided, even though the dirt on show yesterday was certainly lopsided on one particular side. I think the restraint showed by our lads was admirable.
McEnaney’s comments are just laughable. This clown was the referee’s chief! No wonder refereeing is in such a state.
the thuggery should be stopped.This can be done by taking a leaf from horse racing.
When the is an objection the concerned jockies are interview on camera and then dismissed after which a binding decision is made.
If there were a panel of suitably qualified persons looking at the match they could call
the offending players to a meeting and asked to explain his actions.This panel would
include the referee.
Imagine the circumstance when J Cooper ,Connolly and McMahon and OConner and others were asked to justify there actions.It would be difficult at least.
Does anyone agree? If not how do we clean up the game.
Well connolly is that type of player, he’s got form so he’s in bother if that’s what it goes on. Mceaney is just a thundering gobshite
Well said Steve…hate reading the rubbish people talk…each team tries to win and yeah some weren’t very nice about their treatment of others…but name calling and abusive and offensive language has no place on any site. Think Mayo comeback yesterday was inspiring and hope they carry that belief into the replay. Have no fear of Dublin. They are a good team but crack when rattled and they sure were rattled yesterday. I thought our support was super yesterday from Davin stand though I felt outnumbered by blues all around the ground. But by God when we started the comeback you could feel the bubble on the hill burst and the energy about us sizzle. It felt so exciting and made me and my daughter very proud to be cheering for Mayo…and never having given up even when it looked like all was lost. It’s never lots till you give up. Come on Mayo next Sat and give us more of that passion. Proud of you and our county. Thank you.
I think this is the most logical move, if you wanted to get McMahon involved then O’Connor would without a doubt have to go to, so this is the best outcome.
Connolly of course will appeal, but along with video evidence, it should be clear in the refs report that the linesman witnessed clearly Connolly thumping Keegan.
Willy joe do you still do the audio , and if so where can I hear it, many thanks.
McENEANEY is a joke. After ruining the 1996 final he should not be taken seriously at least by us Mayo people. Connolly should be banned. There was clear striking action though it has to be said Leeroy is no angel. Re McMahon I am as well pleased that he didnt get cited because if he did Cillian would as well. And he is quite likely to do something stupid on saturday anyway. In fairness there was not much to his head butt, it was his attempt to get Aiden sent off that sickened me. I thought the worst of all was Coopers nasty studs on DOC Now thats what I call thuggery. Overall I thought the ref didnt do too bad in a game that was almost un reffable. Surely he should be getting more help from umpires and linesmen.
I would rather beat Dublin when they are at full strength. There will be no excuses then. If we run at them like we did for the last 10mins of the game they will crumble
I’ve been reading the match reports from different papers and on-line sources on and off throughout the day and dropping in here too every few hours just to see how people feel and soak up different points of view.
There is one scene that keeps playing over and over in my head and it’s the collective face of Kerry GAA laughing their heads off at the at the prospect of playing whoever wins on Saturday. They’re laughing because if it’s Mayo then they’ll have an injury or two to key players because they’ve been hammered all day by a few Dublin bucks or maybe a coupla fellas suspended, the same with Dublin with possibly more sidelined from discipline problems…………..that face keeps laughing………
If Mayo ever needed to hold their collective nerve it’s next Saturday and I think they might have that extra bitta shteel!!
How in Gods name was Brogan awarded a point for that shot on the 13th minute ? The mind boggles.
I do, Mayomanindublin – yesterday’s one is here. All the audio reports are accessible via the Audio tab at the top right-hand of the site and I also include links to the audio reports with the other match report links in the results section of the site.
McMahon, Cooper not cited but much more importantly Cillian not either
I’d take all that and run any day of the week
Connolly will be some loss, really hope he doesn’t get off
Comment above “I would rather beat Dublin when they are at full strength”
i’d take a point win over their junior B team at this stage if it meant a place in the AIF. The more key players they are missing the better
Connolly could well get off, anything is possible with these appeals. If he does, well so be it, we’ll go hell for leather again either way. He clearly punched keegan on the ground so it was deserved red. You could see how pissed off he was with himself after it coz he took the bait, they were at Aido all day but he kept the head! if we can get a runner off his shoulder everytime he catches a high ball we will win this competition, its simple ss that.
mayomaningalway you must have missed last years semi final mayo v Kerry it was on in limerick yes I did say limerick, check it out on you tube , get real man.
Those audio reports are brilliant given how close they are to after the game. The adrenaline must still be going at 100mph!!
I refer to my post of Aug 15 on this site and my prediction that Andy would really alter things on his arrival during the second half. Okay, because of Andy’s continued brilliance over the years I’ll not get, nor shall I seek, any plaudits for that prediction. Admittedly he made a couple of initial blunders as he acclimatised himself to the game and the pace of same. But then. (Sometimes two words can form a sentence, grammatically incorrect as it may be.)
Andy changed the climate in Croke Park on his arrival. Are we going to wait for 45 minutes next Saturday before we utilise one of our most effective tools? Maybe so. It’s all fine saying that management know what’s going on on in training. What matters is what happens out in front of our eyes. Whatever transpired back in Castlebar last Tuesday evening mattered little to me as, yesterday,I strained my neck to keep an eye on our bench to see when Andy might arrive. When Mórán did enter the fray I knew thatv
that the terrible situation in which we had put ourselves was redeemable.
Hopefully, on Saturday, we might attack the Dubs and the game early.
Andy on from the start for however long, I say.
Hi, definitely last comment b4 game. Was in a group tonight where one of the Dubs said ‘We through the game away’. This is what Mayo people were saying when we drew with Meath in 1995 or 1996.What a nice change.
Also with all the comments most of the criticism is that we wrre too defensive and did not support Aidan O’Shea.
The latter will be rectified. The position is that b4 the game Dublin had given every team the runaround this year. Something had to be tried. Interesting to see the formation on Sat. The players will really be buoyed now and know what is required.
What can the Dubs do to improve? This tells us what to expect. Are they just a one trick pony?
We seem to have more options just how we line up. We have the flexibility of Kerry and could even put Andy full forward for a time. He surely is back to his old self the way he celebrated the point and is so much part of the never say die spirit of the team. Just a thought.
Then Aido charging in would be a sight to behold with Cillian and the others in sipport
CIARAN 2.
Having seen incident from someone’s camera phone on joe.ie Tonight I now think (in light of the tonight’s all clear for everyone else) Connolly will get off. If murphy was seen as the real sinner in the keane affair, there is no doubt Keegan was the perpetrator in that incident. I also think o Connor played a role in the sending off in terms of putting pressure on linesman. Given no other citations tonight I expect the appeal to make it a clean sweep. If so these are the moments managers relentless comments (like Gavin’s whinging) will yield a dividend. It’s part of the modern game now.
I do think the cards are going to fly this week though. 2 or 3 reds odds worth a look.
Mayo need to bring a serious level of controlled aggression to it from the off the next day. Moran x 2 should be in for Mcl and Doh who made very little impact yesterday.SOS to Centerforward.
The likes of the crap that Johnny cooper was at should not be tolerated if he’s stamping across our player then someone else should ploughing into him to set down a marker that no s**t will be taken
Would be a bad idea to start andy, the early pace would kill him, plus our whole game plan and set up hinges on a 7th back (sweeper) named at corner forward. Then we need extremely fit work horses who can get up and down the pitch at pace while chipping in the odd point, kmac, doc, and especially diarmuid do this brilliantly. That just leaves us with two “strikers” so to speak in cillian and aidan, so theirs no way you could justify starting andy without upsetting the whole shape and pattern that managment are trying to implement.
You could well be right Cantini but that’s the same video I posted earlier on and if you take a closer look at it you’ll see (at the 6 second mark) that Connolly threw the first belt when they were both running and so it was him and not Keegan who started the tussle. Cillian’s role in it was neither here nor there. The clip you’ve cited doesn’t show the strike, which the RTE one (here) does. That’s not to say he won’t get off and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he did. To be honest, it’s the most likely outcome, given the wacky world of GAA discipline.
Funny how the sligo and roscommon posters on here, cantini and hontheross respectively, seem to think Connolly has a very good case? seems the neutrals maybe seeing things a bit clearer??
mike heveran which part of my comment are are you referring to? The bit about the refs being under a lot of pressure and not haven it in for teams?
A crucial consideration in beating the Dubs is to silence the hill. Their team feeds off the hype that flows down from the hill. How do I explain it? It’s a Dublin thing.
No player in Ireland knows this better than one Andy Moran. Notwithstanding the fact that this wonderful servant of Mayo football ( and I have no involvement with Ballaghaderreen GAA Club) does not have 70 minutes football in his legs when best should he be deployed to exert his undisputed influence to do this. With fifteen minutes to go..or at the start of business?? Make up your minds.
Connolly will get off. We all know it. Let’s not kid ourselves.
The comeback was gutsy. But our overall performance was very ordinary, and the wides in that second half… I really thought those days were gone. The horror of 1997 was back in mortifying technicolour.
There is not, and there never was, any question that this Mayo team are as tough, brave and resilient as any that have played the game. But they haven’t yet shown that they have the nerve to finish the job that they are obviously talented enough to finish.
This is plainly a very beatable Dublin team. It’s time for Mayo to grow a pair and beat them. No more hesitancy.
There is a decent chance Andy will start, I’ve always been a huge fan but also a case for holding him back. Also when he looks back he will see that again he missed a player in a better position for the goal chance but that said he backed himself and very nearly scored it. For the last point we had a lad free inside but Andy had his mind made up before receiving the ball, thought Kerry might go for jugular in same position although it was very important to equalise.
Dublin are not a 1 trick pony as suggested by Ciaran 2…., Kilkenny, Brogan and Connolly if he gets off all capable of hurting any team and Rock is an excellent free taker. McMenamon capable of goal a bit like Andy for us so we need to treat him seriously. Flynn supplied some good diagonal balls so hopefully we learn from that and he’s a four time all star so wouldn’t be writing him off by any stretch. Alan Brogan capable of influencing too if let.
Further back it seems their backs struggle to cope with our athleticism and neither MDMA nor Fenton had much influence apart from getting turned over. MDMA unlucky to get black but it did them a favour. Bastic the only one who acquitted himself well and Big Barry put a stop to that with his great catch leading to the black card.
Not saying their backs are bad just maybe not as good as we previously thought. We need to mix the tactics more the next day especially in attack and though Drake acquitted himself well would prefer to see another forward.. with half forwards and midfield helping the half backs and half backs especially Boyler helping full back line. That lad sure has heart, a heroic player who gives 100% every time. 2 or 3 lads coming back 1 line when we defend but don’t let Flynn or Fenton be the ones kicking ball in.
A fussier ref might suit us as Aido can cause more trouble next day with a bit more help and clever passing. This ref might spot more fouls on Aido and Kevin Mc and we could end up with one or more penalties. Our discipline is far better than Dublin’s going by Sunday.
With blind ally running we should learn from Fermanagh runners who turned back any time they spotted an ambush rather than continuing on into trouble. It happened in Donegal game too so lets learn from it. Build patiently if we have to, Keegan’s point being the template.
Connolly is definitely a big loss for dublin. On the other hand it may well be used as a motivating factor for them – “lads lets do it for Diarmuid”. I’ve seen this before.
In the interest of a sporting contest it would be better if Connolly got banned as there’s a good chance he’ll lose control the next day given the mouthing at officials and warning he was issuing to Keegan on leaving the pitch which had the hallmarks of a lad with issues. His discipline has been good the last 2 years but the last day the pressure got to him. Was niggling Keegan in the lead up though I think our lad blocked him a minute or 2 beforehand which is probably what set him off.
The lads will need to hold their discipline again next day really well especially the star players who they will probably keep trying to get carded. Can a player be booked for that in GAA?
The Cccc could probably do with enforcing a ban as it’s been a poor summer from their perspective. Expect a few changes in the off season to deal with all the on field shenanigans that’s passing for football these days.
I might be seeing things but I think we witnessed a very subtle tactic by dublin on Sunday. I think they decided to foul us at every opportunity.to break our rhythm and stop us scoring from play and in particular not allowing us score goals. They were prepared I think to let us have almost as many points from frees as we wanted, feeling in their own estimation, that they would outscore us over the 70 minutes. And it more or less worked. It can be psychologically damaging for players and dent the confidence of a team if they are not scoring regularly from play even though they are actually getting the frees and I think this was a deliberate ploy. The ironic and perverse thing is the more fouling you do the less the ref can do about it as the game goes on IF the fouls aren’t too bad – just enough to stop the move but not deserving of cards. It is very clever and of course very cynical. Of course refs can punish continuous fouling but many are reluctant to dish out too many cards for fear of appearing silly or too fussy. Therefore there is kind of an upper limit and this can be exploited. And I feel we saw that on Sunday. Thankfully we had Cillian.
Then again as I said earlier I might be seeing things but there was something dodgy going on.
I’d tend to agree Diehard and just to add to your observations I think they may have felt that Cillian has being very quiet since AOS went in FF so maybe hedged their bets that if they do concede fouls Cillian maybe off form. They got that wrong.Serious pressure that lad was under and he didn’t falter.
Again what a brilliant site this is.. the range of views, thoughts and opinions on here are extraordinarily diverse and when all taken together probably give the real picture of the game. For my own twopence worth, I think the selection of drake was a horses for courses one and a good one at that.. it probably needs more work as the defensive attacking balance previously described by others was not just right. We have the measure of Dublin, we had the opportunities and you have to put those opportunities away. If we don’t put our chances away on Sat u can be dam sure Clukoo and co will. I expect there will be very little alteration on the set up for sat but this will depend a lot on the availability of Connolly who I expect will serve a one match ban.. all evidence indicates a clear strike with intent.. what ever went on leading up to the incident was 50/50 yellow card stuff between the two of them and should not make a jot of difference to the overall outcome.. who started what first is not the issue here.. when they went to ground Connolly lost it and struck Leeroy simples.. and he did it clearly and with intention to harm.. If he gets away with that then the CCCC really are a non entity.
Connolly won’t get off, and after watching some of the clips of him he deserves to be banned. Not saying our boys are altar boys or near it but they don’t do the sneaky stuff, you’ll be hit openly and hard and you’ll know it. Cillian was right to call the refs attention to it, the ref was blind to so much other stuff that he needed reminding what his job was to ref the game. Aos dragged down for a penalty, not given, right in front of his eyes. John small picked the ball off the ground when Andy almost goaled, should have been a penalty or free, not given, it’s as though they make it up as they go. Mayo seem to have finally learned that if you can’t beat them join them, and they’ll make hay from here on in 2015.
I was disappointed with O’Shea whining about the headbutt. He shouldnt act like a soccer player and just get on with it.
Connellys brigade…………….You mentioned the 1993 AISF……………Mayo V Cork………I was there and can honestly say it was the one and only time I’ve been ashamed of a Mayo team……….the way they lay down like lambs in the last 5 mins and actually let Cork put 3 straight goals in for a 21 point margin was outrageous……….thankfully that never ever happened again and over the years the Green n Red reputation has been for big heart, diehard effort, fast flowing football and a never-ending pursuit of the holy grail………..this last 10 years particularly has been a continuous hard-worked blood sweat n tears period in training and on the pitch, season after season, to maintain our place at the top table and eventually to get us to THE TOP………Maigheo Abu !
The overturning of Kevin Keane’s red car will probably work against us. If kevin had taken the punishment then Connelly would almost definitely have to serve the one match ban. I always felt the stupid overturning would come back to haunt us and it might.
By the way, there have been a few stand-out big games over the years where top counties have disgraced themselves in totally giving up on the field……….The above is the only example I can ever recall from a Mayo side, but Kerry have done it also……..even more dramatically, in a clash with Meath I think, in the late nineties………Since 95….96…. our teams have given us nothing but commitment…….bodies-on-the-line total effort in big games and its that consistency that I’m most proud of whenever we take to get field………As other bloggers have said – such enjoyment – long may that passion continue !
Diehard I think you are totally right about their decisions to foul. In fact I think it’s the only explanation. You don’t get to that standard of football without being able to adapt your game to the referee.
Frees were the only thing keeping mayo in the game so why didn’t they just adapt and stop giving away frees?
I agree that it was probably an organised ploy to break mayo momentum and stop us doing damage on the inside.
You also make a sensible observation on the fact that the ref cant really escalate a number of small frees and might stop blowing at all. Who knew that the law of diminishing returns applied to gaa.
If the CCC or CHC or whatever they’re called have any pride in their work, he won’t get off. The fact that he got off before on a ridiculous technicality (ref didn’t write down his number or something in his notebook) should come against him – he can’t keep getting off. He can be clearly seen to strike in all the videos. If they deem the videos to be inconclusive, then they will have to accept the referee and linesman’s take on thing, meaning the ban should stand. If that clown of a President, Mac Fearghail has any sense, he will ensure the ban is upheld instead of writing about ‘southern media bias’.
If the ban isn’t upheld, no one will ever take that stupid disciplinary board seriously again. Keegan, Keane, Connolly, McCann etc. will all have gotten off on technicalities and that.
Common sense should prevail.
I don’t think O’Shea did much wrong in his comments on the headbutt from McMahon. He was asked the question directly by a journalist and responded truthfully and succinctly. He didn’t ask for intervention and moved on quickly. To be honest he had the patience of a saint on Sunday.
Hopefully but somehow I don’t think this will take up dublins time.
Scully – I do wish you’d read this (which I provided a link to yesterday) before making that idiotic comment (which I’m only leaving up here to show up just how stupid it is). As the piece makes clear, Aidan did NOT whine about the head-butt: he was asked a direct question and answered it. Please engage your brain before commenting here again.
On a more general note, this is the second time in two days that I’ve had to deal with comments from people making cheap shots at players (Aidan in both cases). If anyone else want to insult a player, go somewhere else because you won’t get a platform here to do this. And I won’t be so lenient either the next time anyone else tries this.
Keane got off because two of the more senior members of the CCCC panel (one a barrister) were not there. One recused himself (I cant remember why, think he is from Dublin) and the other wasn’t available. They are known to play it by the book and apparently were not at all happy, nor were Croke Park that Keane got off.
If there is any influencing at all going on, as we sometimes presume there is a la Croke Park wanting a Kerry Dublin final (I don’t believe this but some do), then Connolly will not get off. If he does, on top of the Keane incident, taking “one of the team” as teams now do for yellow or black cards will now also apply to red. Why not seriously maim or injure the oppositions free taker with 15 minutes to go if you are 4 points up. Hes gone for the rest of the game and theres a chance you might get off for the next game. If Dublin get to the final, I believe there is a strong chance that they will have no problem trying to completely take JOD or the Gooch out of the game.
And before anyone is shocked by all this carry on from Dublin, John Finn anyone?
The 1983 All Ireland Final anyone? Dublin are not cynical, they are filthy and have a long tradition of it when they feel threatened by the opposition. There is also an element of I think, them not understanding how we just don’t lie down.
And when you think of it, I’m not playing the poor mouth, but logically with all the resources Dublin have and the playing population, versus us, this shouldn’t even be a contest
@WJ
In fairness, I genuinely think you are looking at Connolly incident with red and green glasses. Let me first off say, in my view he definitely struck Keegan. But I think as some other poster noted he will be able to make a case (whether you believe it or not) that Keegan had is arm around his neck and he was trying to free himself for whatever reason.
I wouldn’t accuse either Keegan or Connolly of “belting” each other in the run up to the incident. Conolly jostles with Keegan, Keegan returns the favour and is simply tracking his run, then Connolly clearly makes an attempt to get past him to join in the play and being the 74th minute Keegan had the intelligence to say “well I don’t care if i’m getting a card here i’m not letting Dublin’s most dangerous forward get inside the 50 and join in here”….and he simply made the percentage call and hauled him to the ground. Keegan did the smart thing and it may have been a match saving foul – we’ll never know.
I think when the appeal committe look at Keegan’s role in the affair it will be a key swing factor. There is also the issue that while footage shows Connolly’s arm going back and forth as though he’s striking you can actually see a blow to keegan’s head or body – again he can argue he was trying to grab Keegan’s arm to take it away from around his head.
Look, you could analyse it to death but given all other ‘potential’ aggressors has got off and given the recent run of results on appeals – I would now be very surprised if Connolly didn’t get off….but agree there is an element of lottery to the whole thing.
Connolly will get off. The GAA have consistently shown that they are unwilling to ban players from big matches (semi final / finals). If this incident had happened in the league or in the Leinster championship I recon he would have been banned. It a dangerous precedent that the GAA are setting and goes back to Connolly again in 2011.
There will be fireworks on the pitch and the stand the next day.
Kinsella will try and stamp he authority straight away. First man outta line will get a Red/Black card. Discipline / Cool heads will be crucial the next day. A strength Mayo have in abundance. Keegan will be targeted though.
I assume Kinsella watched the match I wonder will any prodigious he may have about certain players carry over into the reply? Subconsciously of course i’m not suggesting that he will deliberately go out there and try and ”do” a player
I agree with most of what you say there, Cantini, apart from the red and green glasses bit. Diarmuid Connolly plays with the club I’m a member of here in Dublin and I take no joy whatsoever in seeing him in the soup in the way that he now is. However, he has a duty not only as a player who should be an example to kids but also to behave himself when he steps out on the field and he clearly didn’t do so in this case. Of course Lee also bears responsibility for the incident and for what it’s worth I think what Lee did was a bolted-on black card offence. The point I’m making is that, contrary to the accepted narrative, it’s not at all clear to me that Keegan even started it. Look at the piece of video here (which is the one from yesterday stabilised so it’s clearer what happens) and you’ll see that Connolly appears to throw two quick jabs at Keegan and then pushes him before Lee makes any contact at all. The blows are fairly obvious too. I do agree with your prediction, though, that he’ll get off but only because the GAA’s disciplinary processes are in complete tatters right now.
I expect Connolly to get off, not that he should, but as stated above the system is so discredited.
We have benefitted from this system especially in the Kevin Keane case. If Connolly gets off, I hope that those that complain are consistent with their views on the way that the Kevin Keane case was dealt with previously.
@ WJ
Them jabs are not at head or face level, they are at shoulder level which I would interpret as just jostling that goes on in every game when someone is trying to get away from a man, would be very surprised if that had any impact on the appeal. Anyways its all about the interpretation of the CCCC that matters at this stage.
I thought Connolly had a very quiet game Sunday from general play so if he does get off and seeing that all the attention will be on him it will be interesting to see what contribution he can make in the replay.
mayomaningalway the meathmaninlimerick made 26 BAD CALLS in limerick last year.
Loved Keith Duggan’s line in the IT yesterday that McQuillan was like a zookeeper who came in to work to find all the cages open!
On the basis of the video evidence Connolly will get off. It’s not at all clear that he even hit Keegan, who certainly played his part in that cameo. And, he could well bring the defence of ‘protecting himself’. I don’t know what credence they give the refs report at these sessions (very little on the basis of the quarter final), but McQuillan didn’t hesitate even though it was in injury time.
No prizes for guessing where “Scully” is from.. with a name like that…hmmm. i wonder
@ kingoffoxford, Honolulu, I feel… 😉
Connolly struck or attempted to strike Keegan, that is undeniable. That is the overriding fact and that is a red card offence and CCCC have now stated it’s a one game ban.
All else is irrelevant. Kevin Keane case is irrelevant, the run up to the incident is irrelevant, Connolly’s previous infractions are irrelevant.
Connolly has to get ban no question. The photo in Monday’s Indo where he is pushing COC’s head into the pitch will not help his cause any.
I’m sounding repetative here but we need to put Barry or Freezer in alongside Aos and put cluxton under pressure and watch him and fb line crumble. Took 3 or 4 dubs to keep AOS contained. They would have to double up on Barry too so there is going to be space somewhere.