Colm Cooper believes referee Barry Cassidy should not have awarded a crucial late free to Roscommon in their All-Ireland SFC group stage draw with Dublin at Croke Park.
With Roscommon trailing 0-13 to 1-11 in the 74th minute, Cassidy awarded a free to Roscommon for what he adjudged to be a foul on Conor Cox by Daire Newcombe as the forward was in the act of shooting. Donie Smith kicked the free to equalise as the game finished level.
"It's very debatable one," Cooper told The Sunday Game.
"Conor Cox, I think he's actually playing for it. I think he manufactured a free more than anything else. We see these in a lot of games.
"Lovely dummy hop [by Cox] and a Dublin player gets a hand on him. Is it really a free? Probably not, in my opinion, to be honest.
"I think they were fortunate to get it. Having said that, I think a draw is a fair result."
The Roscommon free to draw it.
Behave referee pic.twitter.com/PxEbGYWyjK
— Smaller Fish GAA (@SmallerFishGAA) May 28, 2023
Sean Cavanagh added: "It's one of those unwritten rules whenever there's a one-point game. There was hand, and he was in the act of shooting. When you are in the act of shooting, and a hand is there, it gives the referee an opportunity."
'Dublin are on par with the likes of Roscommon'
Cavanagh said that coming in to the game, he fancied Roscommon to win.
"Roscommon have been the form team. It wasn't so long ago that they were sitting at the top of Division 1," he said.
"I feel that's where Dublin are at right now. Dublin are on par with the likes of Roscommon. The body language of [Roscommon manager] Davy Burke there after, speaking that he's disappointed not to win probably tells you where Dublin are in the pecking order.
28 May 2023; Enda Smith of Roscommon and Roscommon manager Davy Burke speak to their team before the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1 match between Dublin and Roscommon at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
"A lot of people think they were further down the track because of what happened before in last number of years rather than looking at where their form has been in the last couple of years.
"[Dublin] came up against a tough defence today. Their points all came from Costello, O'Callaghan, and Bugler who all had three good games.
"Roscommon did snuff out a lot of the main attacking threats, which says a lot about Roscommon. They are a good team Certainly, it was no surprise to me that Roscommon drew that game, probably felt that they left it behind them.
"There's a lot of frailties and vulnerabilities in that Dublin defence that I think a lot of the real top teams will be licking their lips at.
"There's the residue of where they were at under Jim Gavin in this quarter three push. They were four down at half-time and came out of the blocks flying at the start of the second half."
Does Roscommon's disappointment not to have beaten Dublin at Croke Park point towards where both teams are right now? #SundayGame #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/eItDXbOiAo
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 28, 2023
Cooper said that he feels Dublin's form will improve later in the season.
"My feeling is that the Dubs will know they are going to come out of the group," he said.
"They are looking to peak from the quarter-final stage on. I think they are building towards that, and Dessie Farrell referenced as well that they played Louth the last day, and that game did nothing for Dublin to be honest.
"It was too easy for them. They came up against Division 1 today. They need more of those games to get to the pitch of it, in my opinion."
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