Kilmacud Crokes claimed their first All-Ireland title since 2009 yesterday, but there was more than a hint of controversy about their victory over Glen at Croke Park.
It was an excellent game between two very good sides, one that went right down to the wire.
The Dublin club went into injury time leading by two points, with their opponents pushing for a goal. After goalkeeper Conor Ferris pulled off a stunning save late on, Glen would be given one final opportunity via a 45.
While nothing would come of it, it became clear after the game that an error had occurred.
Images of that final dead ball clearly indicated that Kilmacud had at least 16 men on the pitch at the time, having made a number of substitutes but failing to take off the correct number of players.
It looks like Kilmacud Crokes might have had 16 players on the pitch for the final play of the game? Uh oh... pic.twitter.com/bNjuaitV1D
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) January 22, 2023
Pretty damning.
As it turns out, they actually had 17 men on the pitch as Paul Mannion was also standing on the playing surface out of shot.
For the record, Kilmacud Crokes had 17 players on the pitch at the end, not 16.
63 min:
➡️10 Fox on. 20 Mannion off.
➡️ 19 Casey on. 14 Mullin supposed to go off.
Mannion had not left the field when Tallon kicked the 45 (ref's arm still in the air)
Mullin was on the line pic.twitter.com/g0MFpcaXA4— Maurice Brosnan (@m_brosnan) January 22, 2023
This revelation has now thrown the result of the game into doubt.
Joe Brolly calls for All-Ireland club final replay
Many believe that Glen should be entitled to a replay, especially when you consider how important this final play of the game was.
GAA rules allow for the offending team to thrown out of the competition, a replay, or a fine after incidents such as this one.
Joe Brolly believes that playing the game again is the only fair course of action. Taking to social media, the Derry man said that the GAA should have little choice but to give the two teams another crack at it.
The “circumstances” couldn’t have been more critical. This wasn’t a player straying over the sideline, not interfering with play. The GAA will not want to set a precedent encouraging teams to fire on extra players at the end to defend a lead. A replay is the likely outcome 2/2
— Joe Brolly (@JoeBrolly1993) January 23, 2023
My own view is that the honourable course is a replay. This was not a technical breach of the rule. 15 v 15 is a fundamental requirement. Playing v 16 men in the dying minutes with the extra man defending the goal line is a travesty. Lads. Get off the beer!
— Joe Brolly (@JoeBrolly1993) January 23, 2023
Under R6.44, the Committee only has 3 options: Award of Game to the Opposing Team, Replay, or Fine, “depending on the circumstances.” Here, Dara Mullin was subbed, stayed on & defended the goal line for the last 45. It was a flagrant breach at a critical moment.
The “circumstances” couldn’t have been more critical. This wasn’t a player straying over the sideline, not interfering with play. The GAA will not want to set a precedent encouraging teams to fire on extra players at the end to defend a lead. A replay is the likely outcome.
My own view is that the honourable course is a replay. This was not a technical breach of the rule. 15 v 15 is a fundamental requirement. Playing v 16 men in the dying minutes with the extra man defending the goal line is a travesty.
Lads. Get off the beer!
It's hard to argue with that.
The rule quoted above states that having extra players on the field of play could result in:
On a proven Objection - Award of Game to the Opposing Team, or Replay, or Fine, depending on the circumstances. On an Inquiry by the Committee-in-Charge - Forfeiture of Game without Award of Game to the Opposing Team, or Replay, or Fine, depending on the circumstances.
Brolly would go on to say that the issue should be take out of the hands of the clubs involved and be handled by the GAA.
Both @KCrokesGAAClub and @WattyGrahamsGAA have conducted themselves with discipline and integrity. But this is not a private matter between them. It is about the integrity of the game itself and whether our rules are meaningless. The GAA must protect that at all costs
— Joe Brolly (@JoeBrolly1993) January 23, 2023
If Dublin had kept a 16th man on the pitch in the dying moments of the 2017 replay with Mayo a point down, and he was at the heart of the Dublin defence as the clock ran down, there would be an outcry and a replay ordered. Of course there would be 82,300 good reasons for that…
— Joe Brolly (@JoeBrolly1993) January 23, 2023
Considering how close this game was, a replay seems like the fairest outcome.
If not, a dangerous precedent could be set as other teams look to bend the rules in big games moving forward.
SEE ALSO: GAA Fans Were Furious Over Condition Of Croke Park Pitch For All-Ireland Club Finals
