Dean Rock's misfortune opened a door for Bernard Brogan on Sunday. The former Football of the Year came off the bench to replace the black carded Rock after 23 minutes of the first half.
Brogan would go onto score five points, all from play, giving Jim Gavin some selection headaches for the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Gavin believes the black card was not the fault of Rock. Rather, he blamed the Croke Park surface. Rock slipped as he attempted to gather a wonderful pass from Paul Mannion, in the process bringing down Kildare corner back Mick O'Grady. Referee Anthony Nolan adjudged it to be a black card offence.
Speaking to Newstalk's Oisin Langan after yesterday's game, Gavin questioned the timing of last weekend's Coldplay concert at GAA headquarters which meant part of the pitch had to be relaid for the Leinster final.
Dean, that part of the pitch had been replaced from the concert last weekend.
It wasn't great now for both teams, and it's probably something the GAA need to have a little reflection on.
The groundsmen did an excellent job, an outstanding job actually, to turn it around so quick but going into a provincial final is that the right thing to do to be replacing that part of the pitch, probably a fifth of the pitch?
I could see both sets of players slipping in that part. It was very hard, that's one thing I'd say about it. It's not a fault of the groundsmen. They were put in a situation to turn the pitch around. So it's probably for the management of Croke Park to have a look at it. A provincial showcase football game in Leinster, is that the right thing to do?
As Gavin spoke to the media, part of the Croke Park pitch was already being ripped up ahead of this weekend's U2 concert on Jones' Road.
Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
