Waterford's Davy Fitzgerald believes that the injury time given in the Clare vs. Waterford game should have been longer than the time allocated on Sunday.
The game ebbed and flowed throughout the afternoon in Cusack Park, with both sides level nearing the end of the contest.
However, a controversial '65' was awarded to Clare in Ennis, and Mark Rodgers made no mistake from the free, giving Clare the tight win. The game ended 4-21 to 2-26, and Waterford manager Fitzgerald was seen incessantly arguing with referee Liam Gordon, while a member of the Clare backroom team shoved Fitzgerald in the aftermath.
Much has been made about the decision near the end of the game, but Fitzgerald, a former Clare player and manager, gave his thoughts on the extra time after the game:
“I think it took two minutes to take the penalty, with all the toing and froing, and we were already in injury time. With the 65, I think there were easily two more minutes to play anyhow," he said.
“If you really honestly look at it, if the play is dead for that length of time in injury time, it definitely should have been longer. I honestly believe that should have been a wide ball. That's what I feel."
Tensions run high at the finish in Ennis - Clare squeeze home courtesy of a late contested 65
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Despite it all, the Clare native admitted he was proud of his team's efforts. He claims they will now get over it and move on.
“It doesn't matter. I am proud of the guys. It is just a very hard way to take a defeat like that. It is very tough. It doesn't sit with me well. You have to make their decisions, and you have to get them right.
“At the same time, I have always thought Liam Gordon is a really top-class official. And I have said that all the time. While we are disappointed with one or two decisions, that is the way hurling goes. We just get over it.”
His counterpart on the sidelines, Brian Lohan, the Clare boss, saw his side scramble to a win. Lohan said he was happy to see his team get over the line in such a tight contest.
“Yeah, just about getting over the line. We showed a good bit of resilience towards the end and were delighted with our lads and delighted to get the result.
“It’s an area we have to work on [protecting a lead], but look, we can’t complain; the lads played really well and did some great scoring. The goal threat was always there, I thought, and I was happy to get the result.”
