Tipperary boss Liam Sheedy refused to condemn referee Sean Cleere after yesterday’s pulsating All-Ireland semi-final.
Oddly, Sheedy’s side had three goals disallowed over the course of the game, the third, late on, being the most controversial as Cleere whistled play back for a free to Tipperary rather than allowing an advantage which saw Jake Morris hit the net.
Sheedy said: “Jake's one, I don't know. I just said on the sideline, 'Lads, there’s five seconds. Do you not get five seconds here to do something?'
“I felt Jake had got the ball within two or three. I felt that was probably the match-winning score.
“Paudie [Maher] coming out once or twice, I thought that when we were coming out with momentum the free was given but when they were coming in with momentum the free was being given in.
“So, look, Sean Cleere is a fine referee. It's a difficult, difficult situation to find yourself in out there because the game is just frantic.
“Again, it probably tells you a bit more about our group and our team that they managed to answer back and found the resolve to go at it again. Because they are setbacks.”
And he never doubted that the resolve was within them.
“No, I’ve seen enough of them. They are just a great, great bunch. I felt it myself: I looked out and I didn’t see guys that were throwing in the towel.
“I said, ‘These guys are still going for it’. And that’s probably why I wasted a fair bit of energy myself in those last 20 minutes, because I knew they were still grasping.
“The ball was going down, Ronan Maher was coming out, Brendan Maher was coming out.
“We transferred ball much, much better. Noel got on a lot of ball in midfield and when he gets on ball he distributes it really, really well. We really started to tick.
“I think 12 points with a man down, out there in a very heated contest, is credit to every one of those players.”
Sheedy wouldn’t be drawn on the prospect of leading Tipperary into an All-Ireland final against Kilkenny for the third time, however.
“Stop,” he said. “Ask me tomorrow, or Tuesday.”
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