Monaghan manager Banty McEnaney was irate with referee Barry Cassidy following his side's defeat to Mayo in the first round of the All-Ireland football qualifiers on Saturday.
Mayo won Saturday's clash 1-13 to 0-12. McEnaney felt Monaghan were "robbed" by not having a "stonewall penalty" awarded towards the end of the game for a foul on Conor Leonard.
There were two shouts for Monaghan penalties, the first for what was claimed to be a foot-block on a goal bound Sean Jones shot, and the second when Leonard appeared to be fouled by Lee Keegan. Mayo were awarded a penalty for a foot-block in the first half.
"I thought it was a stonewall penalty at the end," McEnaney told Sky Sports.
"And I'll be honest with you, I think we were robbed at the end. I thought the refereeing decisions at the end were terrible in two or three scenarios. It's very disappointing from our point of view.
"It's very hard to manage a team when you're coming up against things you can do nothing about. They're out of our control.
"We'd be very disappointed. I'm not going to dress it [up]. I never complained about a referee in my life managing, I'm managing 20 years now. I thought some of the decisions were off the charts. Our dressing room is very, very disappointed with that.
"But listen, we'll hold our dignity, our players are a seriously experienced group. The Monaghan players have been phenomenal.
"They have given Monaghan people for the last 20 years unbelievable times. I told them that in the dressing room.
"Times will continue. Monaghan is in Division 1 for 2023. We're the longest team in Division 1 [apart from] Kerry, nobody else is longer. We're very proud of this group of players. We're very passionate about football in Monaghan. But we're very, very proud of our group of players."
Banty McEnaney interview after Mayo vs Monaghan
🗣️"I thought the refereeing decisions at the end were terrible!"
Monaghan manager Seamus 'Banty' McEnaney was fuming after the Farney County's defeat... pic.twitter.com/66DCgt5anb
— Sky Sports GAA (@SkySportsGAA) June 5, 2022
Former Down footballer Marty Clarke, on punditry duty for Sky Sports, felt Monaghan had good reason to feel aggrieved that a penalty was not awarded.
"It was unique that we have two footblock incidents in the one game," said Clarke.
"Mayo got the one in the first half. For me, there's not a lot of difference between the one that was given to Mayo and that. He's leant to it with his foot. Jones has got the shot away. Yes, there's more distance to it to the one that was given, but I understand why Monaghan are so upset."
Regarding the second penalty shout, Jim McGuinness said: "I think the second one, in the context of the game, that could have been given. It's one of those ones where it's borderline."
McEnaney said "no big decisions" would be made about his or any player's future immediately following the game.
"That group of players, I'm listening to people saying for five and six years that these players are finished," said McEnaney.
"By tooth and nail, they've hung on in Division 1, and we came down here and we gave it everything we have. That's one thing about the Monaghan group of players, they will give it everything. I'm very proud of them, the Monaghan people are very proud of them. They're a great group of players.
"There's fellas in that dressing room that made their debuts with me in 2007, and they're still playing. And they will be still playing. They're not raising the white flag anytime soon, them men."
🟢🔴Mayo get the job done!
📽️Highlights of the Westerners' qualifier win over Monaghan! pic.twitter.com/reEx7LJk1p
— Sky Sports GAA (@SkySportsGAA) June 5, 2022
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