Leaving aside all the nasty challenges and off the ball incidents, there was also a couple of scores on Sunday that left a sour taste in many mouths.
We've already found out that Mayo fans (or perhaps non-Dublin fans) are reaching a bit with the Bernard Brogan point. However, the Kevin McManamon point is another matter entirely.
It was fairly clear to everyone who had the benefit of a replay that McManamon hopped the ball twice on the way through to putting Dublin two points to the good after 40 minutes.
That incident was missed by referee Joe McQuillan and Mayo fans were quick to point to the incident when the clash ultimately finished all square. However, writing in his Irish Times column today, Darragh Ó Sé has explained why he has an awful lot of sympathy for Sunday's man in the middle.
Ó Sé main point is that gaelic football has become a game where it is virtually impossible to be a referee. Watching Sunday's clash with neutral glasses on, it's had to disagree with him. McQuillan was at the centre of war with separate battles taking place all around him.
In the midst of all that, the former Kerry star has a lot of sympathy for the Cavan referee when the charge of missing a double-hop is placed in front of him.
How would you referee a game like that last Sunday? Where would you start? I heard people giving out afterwards about McQuillan missing a double hop in the lead-up to a point from Kevin McManamon. A double hop! That’s like missing a pickpocket in the middle of a full-scale riot.
A fairly decent way of summing it up we'd suggest.
