Brian Cody didn’t hide his unhappiness at the “bizarre” Greg Kennedy incident following Kilkenny’s win over Dublin at Nowlan Park.
Kennedy, the Dublin team runner and selector, intercepted a TJ Reid free shortly before half-time as the Kilkenny forward attempted to play the ball short to teammate Billy Ryan from around 35 metres out.
Referee Cathal McAllister ordered the former Galway defender off the field and Reid subsequently tapped the free over the bar, while Cody gave Kennedy a severe tongue-lashing as he made his way back to the sideline.
Kilkenny 2-23 Dublin 1-21: TJ Reid inspires Cats to another comeback win
“Well I’d say even people who are longer involved in the game than I am haven’t seen it so I certainly haven’t seen it before,” said the Kilkenny boss.
“I know Greg Kennedy played a fair bit at corner-back but tonight it was a bizarre thing to do.
“Of course I was unhappy about it because TJ spotted him, gave the ball to him. TJ could have tapped it over the bar obviously but he was thinking ‘goal opportunity’ because it was a goal opportunity and that happened so I wasn’t happy about it, no, I wasn’t.”
Asked whether the Dublin camp conveyed any apologies for the incident afterwards, Cody replied: “What happened after the match, I’m not even remotely interested in that. If they were or whatever, that’s between themselves and ourselves.”
Dublin manager Mattie Kenny played down the incident, insisting it wasn’t deliberate on Kennedy’s part.
He said: “I didn't see it because it was a free in for Kilkenny. I presumed that it was a tap over free and I was talking to our half-forwards trying to get them into position for our puck-out.
“I didn't see it but look it, I know Greg a long, long time. I was just talking to him there, the whistle hadn't gone, he was going off the field.
“The ball was coming over his head, he told me it was just kind of a reaction thing. Greg is a real top class sports guy.
“He's very competitive but one thing about him, he wouldn't do anything like that deliberately and he assured me it was just a reaction when the ball came over his head.”
Despite trailing by four points at half-time, Kilkenny got well on top in the second half and went on to record a 2-23 to 1-21 victory in front of 9,496 at Nowlan Park.
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