JAMES HORAN HAS revealed his amazement at Dublin manager Jim Gavin’s assertion that ‘not only were we playing Mayo, we were playing the referee’ in Sunday’s All-Ireland final.
Gavin made the comment in the aftermath of the game as he felt aggrieved by the free count of 32-12 against his side.
Yet Horan responded yesterday and referred to Gavin’s comments at a press event before the final when the Dublin manager had stated, ‘I would be loathe to think that if anyone said this Dublin team is cynical, you know, I’d take a step back if that was the case’.
“I find that amazing,” revealed Horan at the Citywest Hotel yesterday. “I find that absolutely amazing if that was the comment.
“I know Jim made another interesting comment, that he’d walk away if his team were cynical so maybe that’s another comment Jim should look at.
“What was the free count? And what were Dublin saying after the semi-final last year, were they shouting up and down about it?
“Sure look it, fair play to Jim and fair play to Dublin, they won the game and they deserved to win it.”
At Dublin’s team base yesterday morning at the Gibson Hotel, Gavin expanded on the comments he made on Sunday and insisted that he only raised the issue from the position of strength as All-Ireland champions.
He also expressed his belief that two referees should be introduced for games in the GAA.
“In defeat it’s not the place to be saying it so we were never going to bring it up before this unless we were in a position where we could mention it.
“I still think we should have two referees on the pitch. When you see the quality of Cormac Reilly there on the sideline, why shouldn’t he be able to referee as well.
“We’ve got such quality referees, to leave one man in there on his own, it’s a big ask on anybody, especially with the way the game is gone so fast and furious.”
Pic: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
In relation to the series of fouls Dublin made in the finale of the game, Gavin believed they were borne out of frustration.
“We’ve had very few frees all season within the scoring zone against opposition teams. For whatever reason I don’t know.”
“That was the frustration of the Dublin players boiling through and coming to the surface. Rory O’Carroll was a case in point. I saw it again last night and it looked a good shoulder on shoulder tackle.
“The Mayo players didn’t seem to make a big deal of it, they played on but then the referee blew for a free and gave him a yellow card. That was a bit strange.”
