Updated at 08.00
THE SPOTLIGHT FELL on Diarmuid Connolly last week and the player detailed to keep tabs on him could relate to the Dublin player’s plight.
Lee Keegan was embroiled in the incident that resulted in Connolly being dismissed in the All-Ireland semi-final draw.
Rewind twelve months and the Westport man had gone through the appeals process himself before Mayo’s replay with Kerry after being shown a red card in the drawn clash.
“I went through that process last year. It’s hard, it’s mentally draining.
“It’s probably one of the toughest weeks I’ve had in my life. I think sometimes it felt like all eyes are focused on you in a negative manner.
“At the end of the day I had to do a job on him anyway regardless of how his week was.
“Obviously Diarmuid Connolly went through the same last week so he probably had a tough week himself as well.
To be honest after the game I just wished him all the best for the final. They beat us.
“I wouldn’t hold any grudge off the pitch. He’s a top player and he’s going to have a huge influence in the final.”
Keegan recalls the incident that resulted in Connolly being dismissed and insists when marking a marquee player, his mindset is to curb his influence by whatever means.
“Just a few minutes before I had been pushed over myself. So I was kind of a small bit provoked myself.
“Diarmuid is obviously one of their best players, I’m going to try to stop him any way I can to win the game for Mayo.
We haven’t won an All-Ireland in a long time and we’ve been told before we’re a bit of a soft touch.
“So the reality is that if I’m marking one of their best players, I need to stop him.”
The entire saga creates plenty questions over how the GAA’s disciplinary process operates. Keegan has plenty sympathy for the men in the middle.
“To be honest I feel sorry for the referees. They are trying to make a split second decision and they are probably not getting the protection or back up they deserve either.
“It is a lonely place out there for them. It is so difficult for a referee, he can’t see everything.
“They will probably have to review it and look at how many players are getting off. We are all appealing thinking we’re getting off.
“Definitely, it’s probably a small bit of a flawed system. There’s too many different places to go for a player to try to get off and there’s too much time to find a loophole or a technicality.”
The drawn match was particularly hard-hitting yet Keegan argues that all the top teams are versed in ‘black arts’ and need to be ‘streetwise’ in order to succeed at this level.
“I think we are a tough team and we do play on the edge. I think a lot of people know that. Our tackling is always on the edge. It’s definitely something we pride ourselves on.
There’s no point being a soft touch and I don’t think Dublin were innocent themselves if you look at the first game, they had a lot of incidents themselves.
“All them top teams have their black arts. Kerry have it, they did last year with us, so you need a bit of a streetwise mentality about yourself.
“If you’re going to win the All-Ireland you have to have these actions.”
Originally published at 00.15 on 11 September
