Galway manager Cathal Murray says he's hopeful that defender Dervla Higgins will be cleared to play in next month's All-Ireland final after receiving a straight red card in the victory over Tipperary.
Footage from The Sunday Game appeared to show that the officials had sent off off the wrong player with Emma Helebert the apparent guilty party.
It didn't make much odds on the day as the Tribeswomen did enough to reach their third consecutive final.
"This was a case of mistaken identity."#thesundaygame panel expect Galway defender Dervla Higgins to be cleared to play in the All-Ireland final against Cork. #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/xadPIJ9UXq
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 29, 2021
"Dervla is adamant that it wasn't her and I just hope the cameras can clear that up for us," he said afterwards.
"It's off the ball and Ray (Kelly, referee) has a call and it's Dervla. Hopefully that's not the case."
Four-time All-Ireland winner Ursula Jacob suggested that Emma Helebert - the player who appeared to be the guilty party - could be in "big trouble" but agreed that Higgins should be cleared to play in the showpiece game.
"You can see why Dervla was so confused because she wasn't anywhere near the tackle," Jacob added.
"Galway will be living on the edge. Catherine Finnerty got a straight red against Kilkenny in the group stages and it got rescinded so they'll be hoping for a similar fate.
"But it doesn't look good."
Dervla Higgins was shown a straight red card in Galway's win over Tipperary - but should she have been? #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/PF6GLnYlUr
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 29, 2021
On his side's four-point victory Murray admitted they could have been stronger but he was relieved to get over the line.
"Since last December that's been our goal, to get back to the final," he said.
"It wasn't the best performance in the world. We were lucky with the goal in the second half. We showed huge heart, huge character and I'm just delighted to be back in the final.
"I felt we were on top in the first half and didn't take our opportunities. We should have been more up at half time and they came at us in waves in the second half.
"Our full-back line were heroic and we did very well to keep a clean sheet. There's a lot to improve on - that's not going to win an All-Ireland."
For Tipperary the wait for a return to a first final since 2006 goes on.
They were much improved after the break following a nervy opening half, and manager Bill Mullaney told RTÉ Sport that his players left it all out there.
"We had to [improve] because if we didn't Galway were going to pull away from us," he said.
"We'd a good chat in the dressing room at half-time. Out attitude changed, our workrate changed - we upped it.
"It just wasn't good enough in the end.
"It's going to be very hard to pick them up - they're devastated. We couldn't have asked for more; they gave it everything
On his goalkeeper Caoimhe Bourke, who let a late effort fall out of her hands and into the net, Mullaney ascribed no blame, pointing out that she had made some big saves earlier in the second half.
"She's heartbroken but she's an absolutely fabulous goalkeeper. We wouldn't have been here without her all year. She's unreal.
"You're entitled to one - it was just the timing of it. She'll come back stronger."
