EPHIE FITZGERALD HAS insisted that there’ll be no replay of yesterday’s controversial All-Ireland senior ladies football final.
In his first year in charge since succeeding Eamonn Ryan, Fitzgerald guided Cork to an incredible 11th title in 12 seasons courtesy of a 1-7 to 1-6 victory against Dublin at Croke Park.
However, the main talking point in the aftermath has been a first-half effort from Dublin’s Clara Rowe, which was waved wide by the umpires despite TV replays revealing that the ball had clearly gone between the posts.
Hawk-Eye wasn’t in use to solve the issue so Dublin manager Gregory McGonigle believes the game should subsequently be replayed, although the Ladies Gaelic Football Association’s rulebook states that video evidence cannot be used to review a decision which relates to the awarding of a score.
As a result, it looks like the Dubs will have to come to terms with their third consecutive loss to the Leesiders in an All-Ireland final, with Cork boss Ephie Fitzgerald insisting this morning that they won’t be offering to replay the game.
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The teams were level entering the final quarter of yesterday’s final but Cork rallied and hit four unanswered points to bring a 1-7 to 0-6 lead into the closing stages, before a Sinead Aherne goal from a Dublin penalty with the last act of the game left a point between the teams at the final whistle.
A disconsolate Clara Rowe after the game. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“They were on about Hawk-Eye and what not. We’ve had decisions… I don’t believe that their penalty was a penalty either and we could have had one earlier on so you take a game on its merits. There’s two umpires, there’s a referee, there’s two linesmen — if they say the ball was wide then you have to take it.
“We’ve lost matches over the years, I know myself, with decisions like that. The fact that there’s no Hawk-Eye there isn’t down to us, that’s to do with the powers that be, so there won’t be any rematch.”
Fitzgerald added: “From my knowledge and I asked the LGFA yesterday, there’s absolutely not [a possibility of a replay], no. The referee’s report is final and that’s that. It’s over. And that’s the way it should be. I haven’t seen it but you just have to suck it up.
“Obviously they [Dublin] have lost three years in a row which is very, very disappointing for them, and they’ve contributed to three great spectacles, but that stuff is outside our control so we just get on with what we do. Dublin kicked 16 wides yesterday so they have to look at themselves as well.”
Cork's Ciara O'Sullivan with Dublin's Sinead Finnegan battle for possession. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
Fitzgerald is adamant that even if Rowe’s point had been awarded at the time, Cork ultimately would have done enough to see out the game and secure their sixth All-Ireland title in a row.
“The dynamics of a game change anyway,” he said. “If we were three points up yesterday coming down the stretch, there was 30 seconds left when the ball came into the square for this penalty, that would have been a different scenario. You just can’t compare like with like. Scores dictate.
“We were two scores up so it didn’t really matter what they got at that stage, whereas if it was a three-point game we probably would have been a little bit more focused. You can argue the toss in lots of ways but the bottom line is at the end of the day, the scoreline says Cork won the All-Ireland by a point and that’s all we’re concerned about.”
When asked if it’s fair that Dublin won’t be offered a replay, Fitzgerald said: “You’re either going to go with Hawk-Eye or you go with the decisions of the officials, because if you don’t you could have replays every five minutes.”
'We're All-Ireland champions and that's that' - Cork manager rules out replay
EPHIE FITZGERALD HAS insisted that there’ll be no replay of yesterday’s controversial All-Ireland senior ladies football final.
In his first year in charge since succeeding Eamonn Ryan, Fitzgerald guided Cork to an incredible 11th title in 12 seasons courtesy of a 1-7 to 1-6 victory against Dublin at Croke Park.
However, the main talking point in the aftermath has been a first-half effort from Dublin’s Clara Rowe, which was waved wide by the umpires despite TV replays revealing that the ball had clearly gone between the posts.
Hawk-Eye wasn’t in use to solve the issue so Dublin manager Gregory McGonigle believes the game should subsequently be replayed, although the Ladies Gaelic Football Association’s rulebook states that video evidence cannot be used to review a decision which relates to the awarding of a score.
As a result, it looks like the Dubs will have to come to terms with their third consecutive loss to the Leesiders in an All-Ireland final, with Cork boss Ephie Fitzgerald insisting this morning that they won’t be offering to replay the game.
The teams were level entering the final quarter of yesterday’s final but Cork rallied and hit four unanswered points to bring a 1-7 to 0-6 lead into the closing stages, before a Sinead Aherne goal from a Dublin penalty with the last act of the game left a point between the teams at the final whistle.
“He can say what he likes, to be honest about it. Gregory is very quick to talk. But as far as I’m concerned we’re All-Ireland champions and that’s that,” Cork manager Ephie Fitzgerald told Neil Prendeville in an interview on Cork’s RedFM.
“They were on about Hawk-Eye and what not. We’ve had decisions… I don’t believe that their penalty was a penalty either and we could have had one earlier on so you take a game on its merits. There’s two umpires, there’s a referee, there’s two linesmen — if they say the ball was wide then you have to take it.
“We’ve lost matches over the years, I know myself, with decisions like that. The fact that there’s no Hawk-Eye there isn’t down to us, that’s to do with the powers that be, so there won’t be any rematch.”
Fitzgerald added: “From my knowledge and I asked the LGFA yesterday, there’s absolutely not [a possibility of a replay], no. The referee’s report is final and that’s that. It’s over. And that’s the way it should be. I haven’t seen it but you just have to suck it up.
“Obviously they [Dublin] have lost three years in a row which is very, very disappointing for them, and they’ve contributed to three great spectacles, but that stuff is outside our control so we just get on with what we do. Dublin kicked 16 wides yesterday so they have to look at themselves as well.”
Fitzgerald is adamant that even if Rowe’s point had been awarded at the time, Cork ultimately would have done enough to see out the game and secure their sixth All-Ireland title in a row.
“The dynamics of a game change anyway,” he said. “If we were three points up yesterday coming down the stretch, there was 30 seconds left when the ball came into the square for this penalty, that would have been a different scenario. You just can’t compare like with like. Scores dictate.
“We were two scores up so it didn’t really matter what they got at that stage, whereas if it was a three-point game we probably would have been a little bit more focused. You can argue the toss in lots of ways but the bottom line is at the end of the day, the scoreline says Cork won the All-Ireland by a point and that’s all we’re concerned about.”
When asked if it’s fair that Dublin won’t be offered a replay, Fitzgerald said: “You’re either going to go with Hawk-Eye or you go with the decisions of the officials, because if you don’t you could have replays every five minutes.”
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Cork Dublin Ladies Football LGFA Point made