Jack O’Connor was left perplexed over a decision on a disputed point that may have cost them a draw in their opening Allianz NFL Division One game in Ballybofey.
onegal struck late to win by 0-13 to 1-9 in testing conditions with Patrick McBrearty, not for the first time, landing a late winner from about 45 meters to sink the league and All-Ireland champions.
But O’Connor was annoyed that a first half point that looked to have been tracked wide was allowed to stand, giving Donegal a lifeline at a time when Kerry were in command.
The legitimacy of debutant Caolan McColgan’s second point of three from half-back, a return that helped him to a ‘man of the match’ award, was very much in dispute.
The umpires initially flagged a score but the linesman on the stand side questioned it with referee Liam Devenney who consulted with his umpires before allowing it to stand.
“It is an awful decision,” he said. “Everyone in the stands and everyone on that far side of the field who had a look at that, knew that the ball was wide.
“That should not be happening at this level in football in Division 1. The linesman said it was wide yet he did not communicate it with the umpire,” claimed O’Connor.
“That is an incredible decision in a Division 1 game. You don’t get many breaks when you come to away grounds like this. I felt we deserved a point out of it at least. But that is it, we go down the road with our tails between our legs and we will go and try and regroup for next week.”
New Donegal manager Paddy Carr responded by suggesting O’Connor should be “happy as a lot of decisions have gone his way over the last year or so.”
Carr was certainly happy to get his reign off to such a start, missing some of their most influential players.
O’Connor said Kerry would be drawn from the same pool of players again next week against Monaghan and none of the missing ten All-Ireland final starters would return until at least the third round in three weeks time.