Offaly hurler loses appeal against Joe McDonagh red card

OFFALY senior hurler, Dara Maher has lost his first appeal against a controversial red card in the Joe McDonagh Cup final defeat by Carlow.

The corner back was red carded near half time when the referee Thomas Walsh penalised him for pulling the helmet of a Carlow attacker. It was a huge turning point and a dreadful double whammy for Offaly as Martin Kavanagh blasted the resultant penalty to the net.

It came just three minutes after Paddy Boland had got a 28th minute goal as Carlow took a decisive 2-9 to 1-7 half time lead in their 2-30 to 1-32 extra time win.

Maher's sending off looked harsh. While the young Shinrone man did come come in contact with Paddy Boland's helmet, it looked innocous and was certainly not malicious in any way.

Maher and Offaly appealed the red card to the Croke Park Hearings Committee on Thursday but they have backed the referee's decision. He had been accused of a rule 7.2 (b) Category 3 offence, “Behaving in any way which is dangerous to an opponent”.

The Central Hearings Committee found the offence proven and imposed a one match suspension, which rules him out of Offaly's preliminary All-Ireland quarter-final against Tipperary next Saturday week. He has a further option of taking his case to the Appeals Committee and it remains to be seen if he will take this.

The irony of Maher's suspension will not be lost on Offaly supporters, some of whom are up in arms over the display of referee Chris Mooney in last Sunday's All-Ireland U-20 hurling final defeat by Cork. Cork full back Shane Kingston got away with a yellow for a high elbow on Cormac Egan early in the game as a penalty was awarded and some angry Offaly supporters have highlighted this and other incidents.