Watty Grahams Glen chairman Barry Slowey has confirmed that his club will seek clarification from the GAA over the late drama that unfolded in Croke Park in the All-Ireland club football final.
The drama of course being the fact that Kilmacud Crokes defended Glen’s last attack with sixteen players, as you will see in the below image.
The whole thing went a bit haywire in those last few minutes. As Danny Tallon lined up a last-gasp 45, you could see, watching on from the Hogan Stand, that Crokes manager Robbie Brennan called on two late subs in a bid to kill the clock.
Tom Fox came on for Paul Mannion and then, with the clock ticking, Conor Casey ran on for Dara Mullin.
Casey ran into a defensive position, but Mullin remained on the pitch as the referee blew his whistle for the 45 to be taken.
Tallon hit a clever short one to Conleth McGuckin, who only just missed the target from 30 yards, but Mullin wasn’t off the field in time, he was on the goal-line and, as it turned out, neither was Paul Mannion.
Malachy O’Rourke and his assistant Ryan Porter spotted the mistake immediately and seemed to ask for the 45 to be re-taken, but they had no joy.
In his post-match press conference, O’Rourke was speaking from a personal point of view when he said that he’d tend to “accept we got beat on the day.”
“I can’t speak for the club or anything else but I don’t think that’s how the club operates. We had our chances, we gave it our best shot. Look it, that shouldn’t happen. I can’t speak for the club but I just think we’ll accept we got beat on the day.”
But the club have since sought clarification from the GAA.
“The club have been made aware that potentially a rule has been broken and as such we will seek clarification from the gaa,” said the Glen chairman Barry Slowey in a statement on Sunday night.
And the rule-book, as it goes, would seem to be in Glen’s favour should they object, or should the CCCC conduct a review on matters.
Rule 6.44 (b) (i) of the GAA’s Official Guide Part I states that a proven objection for a team exceeding the number of players permitted as per Rule 2.1 (15 player) can result in either the award of the game to the opposing team, or replay, or fine, depending on the circumstances.
Meanwhile, Robbie Brennan also gave his take on events.
“I think Dara Mullin was coming off, at 14. I think he was just taking his time, to be honest with you. Probably that oul cynical word of killing the clock, so he was always coming. There was just John (Gilmartin) the linesman (fourth official) said, ‘He’s not off yet, so wait, wait, wait’. That’s all we are kind of aware of on it at the minute.”
You can watch all the madness unfold here.
Kilmacud’s 16 players on the pitch.
Here’s @SportTG4 #GAABeo coverage of the final 90 seconds of the game. You can see when the subs come on & go off. pic.twitter.com/B5iHnX0tP8
— Darran Marshall (@DarranMarshall) January 22, 2023
