All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round One: Mayo 1-13 Monaghan 0-12
PROPPED against the cold concrete wall outside the Mayo changing room, Seamus McEnaney pulls the dictaphones in close and doesn’t mince his words.
His displeasure was evident during the game and at the final whistle. As soon as it was blown he made a beeline for referee Barry Cassidy, who was met by verbal volleys from a few of the Monaghan players as well.
The big calls had gone against Monaghan, of that there is no doubt. But the evidence of replays suggests the Farney weren’t as wronged as they felt at the time.
Speaking in that initial aftermath, Banty tried at first to exude calm and talked about the “very good Mayo team”, how he “didn’t see the black card incident” and that they were “happy at half-time”.
But as the questions rolled, the anger found its way out from behind the rock.
“I’m not gonna sugarcoat this here – we were absolutely very disappointed. We think it was a stonewall penalty there at the end.
“We were robbed of a penalty, we were robbed of extra-time, we were robbed of another opportunity. There’s no grey area here for me, it was an absolute stonewall penalty.
“A couple of other decisions, I didn’t see their penalty, I dunno if yous have seen it on a screen – it was touch and go. Had we a footblock in the last? Had we two penalty opportunities in the last 10 minutes? We felt we had.
“I never in my life, I’m 20 years managing teams, 15 years managing Monaghan off and on, I never, ever complained about a referee in my life. But today was disgraceful as far as we’re concerned. That’s my immediate thinking in the aftermath of the game.”
McEnaney admitted he hadn’t seen replays and that those might change his thinking on it all. He spoke of he had “protected” the referee “as best I could” coming off the field, when a Garda took the Derry official to the sanctuary of the dressing room.
There’s nothing so certain when summer ends as the old Monaghan age profile rearing its head again. The big names in that team are around a long time, but Banty bristled at being asked if he feared the team’s break-up.
“Lads I don’t fear anything of this team. I’ve been listening to this craic, I’ve been interviewed the last three years in a row and the two previous years Malachy had been asked the same questions.
“What’s the questions about boys? These boys has give their heart and soul to Monaghan. There’s nobody in that dressing room that’s gonna make any decision any time quickly. We have unbelievable ambassadors.
“There’s still loads left in the legs in them fellas.”
What about his own legs, is there another cut at it left in them?
“That’s it for tonight, alright, thanks.”
