MEATH MANAGER ANDY McEntee has slammed the performance of match officials who took charge of their clash with Galway, saying “they didn’t do their job.”
The Royals suffered relegation from Division 1 on Sunday, after a two-point defeat to the Tribesmen in Navan.
McEntee’s side were 1-6 to 0-1 in front after 31 minutes, but subsequently conceded 1-6 without reply to fall into a one-point deficit as Galway secured a win which keeps them at the top of the table.
Speaking to LMFM after the game, McEntee said he was proud of his side’s performance but claimed that Galway were guilty of some cynical play towards the end of the first half that went unpunished.
“There’s things that are under our control and things that aren’t under our control,” he began.
“By and large, we dealt with most of the things there. I thought the first half was excellent.
“But that 10 minutes before half-time, when Galway did what they did. I’ve no complaints about Galway doing what they did but being allowed to get away with what they were doing, that’s not our fault.
“That’s the frustrating bit of it really.”
When asked if Galway’s experience of playing in Division 1 was the difference between the sides, McEntee replied:
No, I don’t buy that at all. That’s nothing to do with experience. That’s got to do with the umpires, referees and linesmen doing their job. They didn’t do their job. They allowed Galway to change the complexion of the first half totally.
“Maybe it’s experience that they decided, ‘ok, we’ve got to start pulling and dragging. We’ve got to stop Meath getting kick-outs away and slow the game down. Maybe that is experience but that’s out of our control.
“If they’re allowed to get away with they were doing, well I suppose, more luck to them.”
Remarking on Meath’s first-half display which gave them that eight-point lead before the half-hour mark, McEntee said:
“I thought there was lots of good stuff there. I thought some of the defending was good. We missed a couple of chances that, ultimately, you end up paying the price. But by and large, it was very good stuff.
“I suppose a four-point lead at half-time didn’t really reflect the quality of the game.”
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