The reign of Dublin is over. The Boys in Blue were unceremoniously toppled by Mayo on a rainy Saturday evening in Croke Park, losing a senior championship game for the first time in seven years.
It felt like the collapse of an empire, not least because of the unceremonious way the Dubs handled the loss.
In truth, at least one Dublin player should have seen red - and Tomás Ó Sé said as much of John Small on Twitter on Sunday morning.
Should John Small have seen red?
Incredibly, Ballymun Kickhams man John Small lost a senior championship game for the first time ever on Saturday evening - though many watching thought he was lucky to remain on the pitch into extra time, having escaped a potential red card in normal time.
With 15 minutes on the clock, Small clattered into Mayo man Eoin McLoughlin, and the shoulder charge appeared to clearly catch McLoughlin in the head. It left McLoughlin sprawled on the ground and he ultimately had to be stretchered off.
Honestly, how can some people *still* think this isn't a clear red card?
It doesn't matter if it was mistimed or malicious or anywhere in between, he catches him in the head so it's dangerous. Straight red. pic.twitter.com/VjTdKCZvAD— Shane Stapleton (@ShaneSaint) August 15, 2021
The incident didn't even see Small penalised, let alone shown a card. The outrage from Mayo supporters was more than justified, with Small's challenge completely ignored by the referee, despite a serious injury to McLoughlin.
McLoughlin's club Westport confirmed on Sunday that he had suffered a double fracture to his jaw and was undergoing surgery.
The RTÉ panel generally ignored the foul, with Kevin McStay describing it as a "square" challenge and no discussion of the challenge in the post-match analysis. Tomás Ó Sé, who was part of RTÉ's punditry team at Croke Park, tweeted on Sunday morning saying that, with the benefit of hindsight, he believed Small should have been sent off.
The Small hit looked shoulder to shoulder. It wasn’t. The top of his shoulder connected with head. Red card. He didn’t go to do him in the head. In real time I thought right decision was made. Hindsight is great. Pictures of elbows ridiculous. This place is a cesspit
— Tomás Ó Sé (@tomas5ky) August 15, 2021
Ó Sé also criticised those who circulated a misleading photo that appeared to show Small leading with his elbow. Despite that stipulation, it's clear that the challenge should have, at the very least, seen a free awarded to Mayo, if not a red card for John Small.
In truth, Dublin were lucky not to see a red card during the game, with John's brother Paddy Small and clubmate James McCarthy also caught up in contentious incidents. It was an incredible and sadly cynical end for Dublin's incredible winning run.
Mayo manager James Horan was livid on the sideline after the John Small incident, and said that McLoughlin was in "a lot of discomfort"
I just thought the Eoghan McLaughlin one in particular, I was pretty close to it, I thought it was very dangerous. I know he’s in a lot of discomfort. The medical team are gone to the hospital with him now so we have to see how that is.
The way Eoghan fell, you know by the way a guy falls that they’re in bother and the play just sort of went on.
The point made by Horan about the game continuing on while McLoughlin lay in agony on the pitch was one that gained a lot of traction on social media in the aftermath of the incident.
Former RTÉ head of sport Ryle Nugent was one to note the severity of the challenge. As a former rugby commentator, he will know how well head injuries are handled in rugby, something sorely lacking in the GAA and exposed badly yesterday.
Under no circumstances in any game anywhere can a challenge like that be waved through accidental, badly timed - irrelevant.. end of.
— Ryle Nugent (@ryle_nugent) August 14, 2021
In the end, the most important outcome was that Eoin McLoughlin was not seriously injured by the challenge - and that it ended up being irrelevant to the end result.
John Small didn't see red, but the Dubs did in Croker on Saturday, and it allowed Mayo to topple one of Irish sport's greatest ever teams.
Whether they will do the job again in the final remains to be seen, as they look to cross the final hurdle for the first time in 70 years.
SEE ALSO: In Their Moment Of Need, Dublin's Book Of Dark Arts Was Of Little Use
