Cian O'Neill has described the decision to show Daniel Flynn a red card 12 minutes into the second half between Kildare and Galway on Sunday as "shocking".
With Galway up two points, Flynn was involved in an off the ball incident with Sean Andy O Ceallaigh. Flynn swung an arm after being held by the Galway fullback.
"Another shocking decision - which wasn't the referee's call - to send the player off," O'Neill told RTÉ after the game.
"I thought it was a very well contested and hard-fought match. And to lose a player for 25 minutes there. It's just not on.
"You'd really wonder why we train so hard and then get treated like that by sideline officials who seem to be more interested in looking for something that's not there than assisting the referee."
The off the ball incident which saw Daniel Flynn sent off in the 2nd half against Galway - Watch the highlights on RTE 2 tonight at 9.30pm pic.twitter.com/w2nlQqlokW
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 22, 2018
You would wonder if O'Neill had seen a replay of the incident at the time of speaking. If he had, then it would be tough to argue with Sean Hurson showing the Kildare full-forward the card.
The Kildare manager added that he thought his side's failure to convert chances either side of the break was what really cost them the game.
Another beneficiary of the red card will be Kerry. Flynn will be suspended when Kildare face the Kingdom in Killarney on the August Bank Holiday weekend. Considering the run around which he gave the Kerry defence in the league, it will be a welcome occurrence for Eamonn Fitzmaurice.
Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
