Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice has rejected Lee Keegan's claim that Mayo's Evan Regan was subject to a "very dirty tackle" by Kerry's Ronan Shanahan in last weekend's Allianz League meeting between the players' respective sides.
Regan had his jaw broken in a challenge with Shanahan, for which the Kerry defender was shown a yellow card. He was later sent off having picked up a second yellow card later in the game. The challenge will sideline Regan for the rest of the National League as he requires surgery.
Speaking to the media this week, Mayo defender Lee Keegan described the challenge as "a very dirty tackle and he got a bad outcome there, a broken jaw".
Keegan's comments were put to the Kerry manager last night, with Fitzmaurice issuing a strong refutation while wishing Regan a speedy recovery.
They were way off the mark. It wasn't a dirty tackle at all. It was a genuine attempt to play the ball and I don't think Lee looked back at the replay to be honest, with the comments that he made.
There was absolutely no intent on Ronan Shanahan's part, I spoke to him and he said the same thing. I knew it from looking at the replay of the incident myself.
So I don't agree with Lee and I refute Lee Keegan's assertion that there was any malice in Ronan's tackle.
Kerry face Monaghan in the National League tomorrow afternoon, and will be without injured trio David Clifford, Sean O'Shea, and Gavin Crowley. They have been replaced by Andrew Barry, Daithi Casey and Jack Savage respectively. Here's the team in full:
Shane Murphy (Captain); Shane Enright, Jason Foley, Ronan Shanahan; Paul Murphy, Andrew Barry, Brian Ó Beaglaíoch; Jack Barry, Barry O’Sullivan; Micheál Burns, Dáithí Casey, Stephen O’Brien; Jack Savage, Paul Geaney, Barry John Keane
The game throws in at Inniskeen at 2pm tomorrow afternoon.
[Quotes via Irish Daily Star]
