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 Evening Echo 17th February 2004 | |||
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Newtownshandrum 1-16 O'Loughlin Gaels 0-19
Patsy Morrissey of Newtown today labelled referee Seamus Roche's performance in yesterday's semi-final encounter as 'a disgrace'.
The Newtown selector was incensed by the Tipperary official's handling of Sunday's clash with O'Loughlin Gaels in Semple stadium.
Roche angered the Newtown fans and O'Loughlin Gaels with some of his decisions in the drawn classic.
"My initial reaction is one of sadness that the referee could have so much influence on a game at this level," said Morrissey."
"I am not talking about being impartial to either side but the display of the referee was absolutely disgraceful on both sides.
"On several occasions he made the wrong call on both sides and I am not being unfair to him when I say that."
"Our own indiscipline was the reason the ball was moved on a number of occasions but what I am talking about are the initial fouls."
" I am very disappointed with the quality of the refereeing today. I think the game was played out for a draw at the finish because I thought our last free possibly wasn't a free."
On the game itself, Morrissey believed that it was almost lost in defence rather than his team's failure to put enough scores on the board in the second half.
"I don't think we defended as well as we should have. We let them get too many handy scores and they got too many scores from frees. But we will look forward to the replay and our history in replays is not too bad," added the Newtownman.
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