A head-scratching decision….
Monaghan were the victors today against Down in their All-Ireland group-stage clash, winning 2-27 to 1-26 at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh.
The result means that the Farney men go straight into the quarter-finals as group winners, while the Mournemen face a preliminary quarter-final.
The latter were winning for large parts of the match, but a game-changing goal swung the momentum.
On 50 minutes, Conor McCarthy had a shot saved, then a second hit off the post, with the rebound coming to Jack McCarron.
He slotted it home, but replays showed that he had clearly picked the ball off the ground.
Working for RTÉ, former Kerry player, Tomás Ó Sé, questioned the umpire, who seemed to be in a perfect position to make the right call.
He said: “I think it was a turning point in the whole match.
“It’s pointed out there, the umpire was bent over and looking down, staring, I don’t know what he was actually looking at, it just happened right in front of him.”
Ex-Mayo player, Cora Staunton said: “It’s a clear pick up off the ground.
“At that stage Monaghan were struggling for scores….. they were four points down at that stage.
“You can see the umpire is three metres away, clearly can see that he picks it off the ground, and it did change the game.
