Clare v Cork referee defended after controversial ending to All-Ireland hurling final
Clare beat Cork by a point after extra-time but Robbie O'Flynn had a last gasp chance to equalise for the Rebels only for his shot to go wide.
Kilkenny great Paul Murphy has come to the defence of referee Johnny Murphy following the controversial ending to an epic All-Ireland hurling final.
Clare beat Cork by a point, 3-29 to 1-34, after extra-time but Robbie O'Flynn had a last gasp chance to equalise for the Rebels only for his shot to go wide.
Just before he shot, though, his jersey was pulled but no free was given.
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According to Murphy, the winner of four All-Irelands with the Cats, it was perfectly understandable that Murphy didn't make the call.
"It was a pull of the jersey but I wouldn't be hard on Johnny Murphy. I think he had an outstanding game, to be honest,'' he told Ireland AM this morning.
"It happened so fast, I didn't see it in normal time, I always go back to that - it's what you see in normal time. We're all experts when we're looking at replays - 'there's a pull of a jersey'.
"It was frantic. When Robbie O'Flynn landed, he was gone. I don't think Johnny Murphy could have seen it from where he was standing. He was trying to position himself as best he could.''
Sunday's final started at breakneck speed and the pace rarely flagged. That took its toll with plenty of players cramping up and going off exhausted.
Murphy feels that, when you have a game played at such a pace, it's asking a lot for referees to be perfect.
"One thing you have to accept when watching hurling is that there are frees going to go amiss because it's so fast,'' he said.
"We were all saying it was one of the best games we've ever seen, so fast, electric but, what goes with that, is things are going to fall through the cracks.
"I don't think any of those Cork players will be going 'oh, we are hard done by'.
"That's something we in the GAA have to row back on. The referees are amateurs too, they want to have a great game. I think he had an outstanding final.''
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