You’re two and a half years too late, Cormac.
Mayo fans didn’t care much about Sunday’s final league game. Yes, there was a chance they could’ve been relegated but, as it transpired in Roscommon, they didn’t even need a result against Donegal in the end.
They would’ve preferred this Cormac Reilly in Limerick back in 2014 during the All-Ireland semi-final replay. Then again, that would’ve only ended with the referee still being chased off the pitch, by Kerry folk instead.
It was a strange decision to send the official into the lion’s den on Sunday to take charge. Mayo fans weren’t happy about it but, as the idea was floated on The GAA Hour, it was always going to be worse for Donegal.
It’s only human nature that you’d want to show the Mayo crowd that you don’t hate them and you don’t have anything against them and, my, how Reilly obliged.
The first was the penalty shout. A definite, stone-wall penalty – nobody’s going to argue with that – but the referee couldn’t award it fast enough or any more enthusiastically.
I've never seen a referee more excited to award a penalty! pic.twitter.com/LmgvKmlgNK
— Conán Doherty (@ConanDoherty) April 3, 2017
Then, there was a bit of a schemozzle on the sideline. That, of course resulted in a number of yellow cards – four to be exact.
75 per cent of those were, of course, awarded to Donegal men.
If all those yellows weren’t enough, how about a red for Eamonn Doherty which seemed damned harsh, in truth.
The Donegal defender was fouled by Aidan O’Shea and brought to ground. He reacted rather naively but fairly tamely.
O’Shea commits the foul.
Doherty lifts his leg into the side of O’Shea’s.
O’Shea goes down seemingly clutching his groin.
The referee didn’t even look interested to start off with and he certainly didn’t react to this supposed strike.
But a chat with his umpires soon brought about a red.
Albeit it’s a little close to home, Rory Kavanagh was having none of it on Allianz League Sunday on RTÉ as they watched the highlights over.
“For me, it’s not a red card. Eamonn Doherty is not a dirty, cynical player,” the Donegal legend said.
“I would look at Aidan O’Shea there. Contact, for me, is minimal.
“Yes, he does raise his leg but Aidan O’Shea is going down holding himself in the midriff there. If he stays on his feet, it’s not a red card.
“I think Cormac Reilly didn’t want any more pitch invasions, that was the problem.”
That’s why he’s fast becoming one of the best pundits.
But all this was seemingly about for Reilly was to fast make bridges with his Mayo critics. It’s just a shame that Donegal had to pay that price. As it was, a point would’ve seen them into the league final.
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