McGeeney’s men advance but Tipp left fuming

PADDY NEILAN’S sub-standard refereeing display was called into question by Tipperary manager Liam Kearns following his side’s All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Armagh on Saturday.

Kieran McGeeney’s Orchard men came to Thurles and claimed a deserved victory — but Neilan’s performance was the main talking point at full-time.

The Roscommon whistler needed a Garda escort from the pitch at full-time and some of his decisions had both sets of fans baffled.

Neilan disallowed what looked like a perfectly good Armagh goal in the first half — and called Philip Austin back in the second half when the Tipp man was through on goal, failing to allow an obvious advantage.

But Kearns was more aggrieved with the suggestion from Neilan that Tipp’s players were going to ground too easily.

‘I’m very disappointed with the referee,’ Kearns said. ‘All I could see from him was this (diving motion).

‘My players don’t dive, and he was calling dives all over the pitch. I just could not understand that.

‘Also, on the advantage rule, somebody would want to explain the advantage rule to him because he didn’t seem to know it. He didn’t cost us the game, Armagh deserved to win the match, but I would be disappointed with his display.’

Kearns was right — Armagh did deserve to win after producing a strong second-half display. Behind at the break, 0-8 to 0-10, they upped the ante considerably in the second half in front of a crowd of 6,823.

Michael Quinlivan, named to start but still struggling with an ankle injury, scored a brilliant goal in the 38th minute, to hand Tipp a 1-10 to 0-9 lead. But Armagh, pressing up on Tipp, were strong for the remainder of the game and Jamie Clarke’s classy late goal ensured victory.

Kearns said that he’ll now take some time out to consider his future, having completed a two-year term.

He’ll touch base with former captain Peter Acheson, who was in Dubai this year, to see if he’s interested in a return.

Colin O’Riordan, in Australia with the Sydney Swans, is another player on his long-term radar, along with Steven O’Brien and Seamus Kennedy, who are currently with the senior hurlers.

Armagh selector Paddy McKeever hailed the character of his players, as they fought back from a fourpoint deficit to win by two.

‘It is born out of similar losses that they’ve had,’ he said, ‘some of the collective criticism they have received from all quarters.”