skip to main content

Anthony Daly: Galway red cards 'silly' but Henry Shefflin makes valid point over protection

Conor Whelan leaves the pitch after being sent off
Conor Whelan leaves the pitch after being sent off

Anthony Daly feels that Henry Shefflin's point about greater protection from officials towards his players was "well-made" but added that Galway picked up red cards for "silly" fouls against Dublin.

The Tribesmen ran out 1-23 to 1-15 winners in the Division 1B clash at Pearse Stadium but finished the game with 12 men, after two yellows for Jack Grealish were followed up by straight reds for Conor Whelan and Daithí Burke.

Whelan and Burke will now miss the encounter with Limerick on St Patrick's Day, and Shefflin called afterwards for more protection for the likes of Whelan, who he said "takes a lot of punishment".

Whelan was sent off for reacting to some harrying by Paddy Smyth by hitting his hurl against his opponent's midriff, before Burke saw red for a clash with Chris Crummey.

While Daly saw Shefflin's point about referee Johnny Murphy, he suggested that the fouls from the Galway players were unnecessary.

"I know Henry is on about more protection for Conor Whelan, it gets a lot of attention, that's up to the umpires," said Daly on Allianz League Sunday.

"Paddy Smyth is definitely holding his hurley, he's frustrated but you can't react like this, you can't pull across a fella's midriff. Maybe he does need more protection but you can't do that at the same time, it's silly.


"Daithí Burke was even more silly. There was a bit going on between him and Crummey, two hardy boys but he was just a mile late. Johnny was right on site, so was the linesman.

"It's a big thing now, if you were to name out two players to be without facing into Limerick next week, it might be the two of them. They've a big panel though and it will be a chance for other lads to step up and have a real go at it.

"He [Shefflin] will be annoyed when he sees it back and his points were well-made about protection for Conor Whelan."

Speaking on RTÉ's Sunday Sport after the game, Shefflin said that "I know him [Whelan] as a very abrasive player when the ball is around him. He takes a lot of punishment.

"Sometimes that punishment that goes on 45 or 50 minutes - I've been in that position myself - you do react. I would ask was there was protection in advance of that.

"When I watch it back I'll probably be saying maybe [it was fair]."

Read Next