WATERFORD STAR STEPHEN Bennett has been hit with a one-match ban arising from an incident during last Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final defeat to Cork in Thurles.
The GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) proposed the suspension after Bennett tugged Cork player Damien Cahalane’s faceguard.
The offence was missed by referee Barry Kelly but GAA disciplinary chiefs have decided to act nonetheless.
Although they have yet to confirm, it’s understood that Waterford will not be contesting the charge, which means that Bennett, a key member of the U21 All-Ireland winning side last year, will miss the Déise’s first round All-Ireland qualifier on Saturday week.
Attacker Bennett (21) was cited for a category III (iv) infraction, specifically ‘behaving in any way which is dangerous to an opponent, including deliberately pulling on or taking hold of a faceguard or any part of an opponent’s helmet (in hurling).’
The minimum penalty for such an offence is a one-match suspension in the same code and same level, leaving Bennett ineligible for Waterford’s first outing through the back door.
Waterford sources have indicated that Bennett reacted to some provocation from Cahalane before the incident but are set to accept the punishment and will not be requesting a sitting with the GAA’s Central Hearings Committee (CHC).
The rules are the rules and he’s right they were not applied consistently and as the manager of Dublin he should be grateful. In the first half, McCauley should have been carded for a deliberate trip and Connolly should have been gone for dragging a player to the ground.
on the Sunday Game last night the panel were suggesting that the was no difference between the shoulder by Aidan o Shea in his run up to the referee and McCarthys except there was. The latters was a block to take a defender out which is cynical and hence the black card. IMO it was the harshest of the 3 Dublin instances in the first half.
This is not an anti Dublin comment btw. Mayos OConnor and OShea should also have been black carded for cynical fouling also.
Given that there was only 1 black card shown and in my view for probably the least of the instances it was very harsh.
Overall I thought the ref had a poor game.
I think you need to replay the incident – Dublin had the ball in their OWN back line so McCarthy could not be accused of taking out a ‘defender’ – Dublin were 10yards from their own goal and had comfortable possession. There was nothing to be gained by McCarthy deliberately barging. Spirit of Rule is about punishing players who cynically take guys out with the ball or off the ball when a team is ATTACKING WITH THE BALL. MAyo didn’t have the ball and no one was attacking
Ah! But you must know that if the ref gave out black cards to all who deserved them he would have “spoiled the game as a spectacle!!!!!!!!”.
@BMJF I don’t think you know much about football if you think it matters where on the field an offence occurred to determine what colour of a card you get. It’s a third man tackle, it’s effective everywhere on the field, as is dragging people down to waste time. If what your saying is true then every team would be doing that.. rules are rules there’s no spirit.
Players put there lives on hold to play in games like these to get a black for that was terrible decision.
Nothing about Macauley there Jim, just looking for some consistency.
What about OShea should have gone OConnor should have gone too
@Liam Melia: he didnt say consistency against Mayo, he just said consistency.
Yeah to be fair – he was talking about the type of incident that McCarthy was black carded for…. O’Connor had one, right in front of ref that was way more cynical. For me mccarthys wasn’t a card (what could he do in the conditions), oconnors was.
Though I agree McCauley (twice) and Connolly probably deserved black cards. As did o’shea.
There were other inconsistencies, the ref called one free for over-carrying, yet there were loads of incidents of it (including by parsons in the very next play) that didn’t get called.
@Augustus hoop:
Was it McAuley who made that high neck challenge, if so?, then on another day he would’ve got a straight red never mind a black.
Ref obviously deemed that McCauley’s wasn’t ‘deliberate’! You can name every player and every incident! The card is a mess and it needs to go. Replace it with straight red for pulling a guy down on way to go which is where this came from in the first place – Cavanagh rugby tackle on Monaghan attacker
It was an awkward challenge after having legally dislodged the ball. I don’t think people appreciate just how slippy the pitch is. He won the ball fairly and then grabbed his man as momentum carried him through. He did grab him around the neck but it was awkwardness rather than anything malicious
I’m a dub and I thought it was an awful challenge! Tho I also thought the one on John small, when he was cleaned out off the ball (which we didn’t even get a replay on) was also awful.
But as you say this tit for tat (green/blue tinted) all your lads should have been sent off, but none of ours, is just ridiculous. The ref wasn’t great, but he (having watched it more calmly again – obviously first time around I felt he was anti-Dublin) didn’t advantage one team over the other.
Ah great timing Declan. I mention green-tinted and you appear.
You are right tho, despite all replays showing Keegan starting it (and everyone knowing all week that part of his role was always going to be to rile Connolly up)….. it was all Connolly.
The cheek of Joe Brolly to comment ‘isn’t it amazing how everyone lee Keegan has ever marked gets booked for wrestling with him’.
Great post declan. You display excellent knowledge of the game. One thing, what exactly does the first sentence of your post mean?
Mayo are a despicable rabble. Constant diving dragging pulling and cheating. A horrible team who will never get their grubby paws on Sam. Back in your box Mayo. You blew it
There’s was only one team 5 points u p at half time and one team 3 points up with minutes left. It’s not Mayo who blew it!!!
@Skim Coat: how many minutes?
Dublin were shit and all you fans knew to win you would have to meet Dublin on an off day. You got exactly what you wanted and still managed to spill the tea. Stop cheating constantly and focus on ball and you might do it some day. Roll on replay
I’d respect your opinion emmet if you knew your arse from your elbow but you wouldn’t know anything about football if it smacked you in the mouth! I’d say we blew it there to be honest!
@Spoddgy: I was at the game and witnessed the constant cheating. Especially off the ball. The ref was completely out of his depth too which didn’t help. He was conned for the black card.
Mayo have become, through constant heartache, the most cynical team in Ireland. If it was Tyrone there would be calls for them to be banned.
Emmett
You make out as if Dublin would never do any of those things…..
@Paul: Every top team operates on the edge of the rules. Mayo break them constantly. The absolute state of their tackling. They lack discipline and resort to fouling. If we get a decent ref the next day it will be Dublin by 7 points
@Gerry Healy: your’e worse than Catherine Noone
Emmett ya haven’t a clue. Mayo played by the rules. As did Dublin. Yes there was a couple of dodgy decisions against both teams but I think to be fair to ref he let it flow as much as possible which resulted in a great game. Now stop talking rubbish good boy.
They need a stronger ref for the replay, one who will apply the rules consistently to both teams. I’m amazed there were not more fist fights yesterday, the ref seemed to have no real control at times.
Unfortunately for the GAA in general there is only one David Coldrick.
Ref done his best for Mayo,thought the days of the referee being biased were gone.
@Dave cullen: it was the same in drawn semi last year
Look the truth of it is, diarmuid Connolly is one of the best Footballers in the country, Lee Keegan has done such a great job in every final encounter that Connolly has only scored 5 points against mayo in the last few all Ireland finals, whatever you say about him starting fights he is an amazing defender
Don’t mind the referee or the players, the absolute worst performance yesterday was the ‘Dublin Kit Man’.
All that money spent in preparation went to shit because the players didn’t have long enough studs in their boots to be sure of their footing.
I think that the Ref. got McCarthy right enough as the rule stands. He did see O’Connor but kept going. McCauley should have gone on Black early on, in my opinion he hand in ripped an opponent and that is black as the rule stands. As well as that, McCauley was luck because he was a consistent fouler and should have been gone on two yellows early on. He actually committed at least four bookable ones . That is probably why they took him off, but he was playing poorly.All in all, it was a very poor game, as was the minor game. That is the level that these so called managers and tactitions have brought Gaelic football to.. It is now a bore of a game just like soccer.
Emmet and Dave both of you are talking complete rubbish.
The moderator on this thread is obviously an idiot, deleting legitimate comments.
Actually, do me a favour and ban me from this site.
You could just delete the app.
Consistency for Dublin getting every decision in the semi final and the final ;-)