Tomás Ó Sé doesn’t buy Kildare’s referee excuses for Monaghan defeat

"I don't think you can use it for an excuse for losing."

Kerry legend Tomás Ó Sé doesn't buy into the idea that Kildare can use the referee's performance as an excuse for losing to Monaghan. Jerome Henry was officiating the game, and made several questionable decisions, the most controversial being a play late on the game that arguably won the match for Monaghan. Sean Jones called for a mark late into injury time, wasn't awarded it, so after some deliberation just played on and it ended up as a score for the Ulster side. Henry should have blew Jones up for over carrying, and it was something that infuriated the Kildare manager, Glenn Ryan. "Our job is to try and prepare the team and get them out on the pitch for the lads to try and do the best that they can," said Ryan.

"It's other people's jobs to make sure they get decisions right as to who officiates these games. Funny enough someone said to me this week that this man is out of his depth - he proved tonight that he was out of his depth.

"I can't understand in a big game like that, having a top class official like David Gough doing the line, who was equally scratching his head on the line with me on occasions. "But we had opportunities to win the game and we didn't take them. Our lads battled and worked hard and that's all you can ask of them." Speaking on The Sunday Game, both Ó Sé and Sean Cavanagh agreed that the referee was poor, but the Kerryman doesn't think it can be used as an excuse on Kildare's behalf.

"There were fouls that were given at the very start of the game, that weren't frees at all, they played fairly legitimate tackles, and then as the game went on, it felt like he was trying to balance it up," said Ó Sé. "There was fouls that should have been given that weren't given, but I do think - did it cost Kildare? I wouldn't say that. It was on both sides."

Cavanagh interjected: "The only thing is, that final play of the game where the Monaghan lad went to take the mark, and he stopped and everyone stopped - I think there is a question mark over that, and a referee will clarify that one, but it might have been the only one that led to a winning score." https://twitter.com/TheSundayGame/status/1673082384265388035 "But there was on the other side what looked like a rugby tackle down on top of a Kildare player which would have gave them a chance to level it up," added Ó Sé. "I don't think you can use it for an excuse for losing, because it was poor on both sides, but it was definitely one of the worst performances I've seen in a while." Related links: Related links:

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