'Shocking stuff' - McGeeney criticises breach call
Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney was strongly critical of a three-man breach decision that went against his side and ultimately proved pivotal in their Allianz Football League defeat to Galway on Saturday evening.
The rule says a team must keep at least three outfield players in the opposition's half of the field at all times, but there are exceptions, namely if it is clearly unintentional, if players are within four meters of the halfway line, not interfering with play, or not gaining an advantage.
McGeeney said Joe McElroy came to the touchline to inform his manager he was injured, but the fourth official alerted referee Barry Cassidy who penalised the Orchard County, advancing the position of a Galway free.
Rob Finnerty's effort ended up bouncing into the net to get the Tribesmen (who were down to 14 men after Ciaran Mulhearn was black-carded) back to within a point of their hosts.
In the aftermath, McGeeney could not hide his frustration.
"The call on the breach in the first half was shocking stuff," he told RTÉ Sport.
"When you look at it again, Joe McElroy... he stopped inside his own half and came over to tell me he was injured. You can see it on the TV that he definitely didn't go out of the five-metre buffer zone and the fourth official called a breach.
"He wasn't even interfering with play, which means it should have been a free from the halfway line even if he wanted to be that technical about it, but that sort of stuff is just very, very hard to take.
"I'm involved in (the) GAA a long time. Outside of one or two people who just want to be better, there's never any communication between referees and managers, none. It's always our fault like, but there's never, ever (communication), not in my lifetime.
"I mentioned that about 12 years ago, 14 years ago when I was with Kildare and I was laughed at, so what do you do?"
McGeeney was able to take some positives from an absorbing contest.
"It was a great game of football, it always is between ourselves and Galway," he added.
"It's up and down stuff, it always comes down to a point or two.
"I thought we played a lot of good football. It's always going to be a biased opinion but I thought we played most of the best football. Some of the goals went against us but that's the nature of the beast.
"I can't say I was disappointed tonight, other than the result. I thought a lot of young fellas, like Gareth Murphy in there again doing a good job, I thought Andrew Murnin and Callum O'Neill were outstanding in the middle of the field, just wasteful in front of goals, I thought we did well on the kickouts and stuff.
"A lot of good stuff, just very frustrating on the one or two things that cost us."
Kieran McGeeney felt his side left two points behind them
McGeeney also offered some clarity on the decision to bring Ethan Rafferty on as an outfielder in the closing moments, the Grange man having been more noted as a goalkeeper in recent seasons.
"We're just short a lot of players, especially height wise. Galway are a big team. They took off a 6'2" player and brought on a 6'4" or 6'5" fella.
"Ethan's height was just something we said we'd use in the last four or five minutes. Listen he might put his hand up, you never know, but no big plans for it."
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