Mayo not happy with referee in Croke Park
Two big calls go against Mayo as Cork lead
Monaghan referee Martin McNally won’t be getting the Freedom of Mayo any time soon after two pivotal calls went against the Green and Red in the opening half of today’s All-Ireland quarter-final.
Cork, the better team for periods of the opening 35 minutes, took a two-point lead to the dying moments of the half, but a two-point free from Ryan O’Donoghue has the scores tied at the change of ends.
McNally raised the ire of Mayo followers after ten minutes when Ryan O’Donoghue got on the end of a Kobe McDonald pass and ran across the face of goal. In real-time he seemed to be clearly fouled and went to ground but McNally failed to blow as the stadium echoed to a chorus of boos directed at him.
Things got even more tetchy after 17 minutes when the Mayo management team on the sideline were incensed when Cork were awarded what seemed to be a very debatable free right in front of them. Nark Cronin stepped forward and guided the two-point effort between the sticks for a cruical score.
Cork were guilty of some very poor misses in front of the posts throughout the half and Mayo were dealt a big blow early in the game when flying defender Eoin McGreal had to leave the field injured.
The much maligned Mayo defensive structure seemed tighter than usual in the opening period but Jack Livingstone had to be at his best after five minutes when he denied Chris Óg Jones a goal.