Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Robert Hynes

Aidan O'Shea's black card leaves viewers confused during Kerry v Mayo as decision explained

Aidan O'Shea was shown a black card in the first half of Mayo's All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Kerry on Sunday evening.

Fans were confused by the decision as it looked harsh given that both him and David Clifford were pulling out of each other.

One tweeted: "That Aidan O'Shea black card is a balls, Kerry man went to grab him, O'Shea was stronger and ended up on the ground. You'd have to wonder at what the linesman was thinking."

READ MORE: David Clifford goal against Mayo hailed 'ridiculous' in All-Ireland quarter-final

But RTE's Joanne Cantwell explained at half time that O'Shea apparently received the card under the 5.1.4 rule which is for "words, deeds and actions to an opponent".

Reacting to the decision, former Mayo player and Irish Mirror columnist Colm Boyle said: "We thought initially it might have been for a drag down but we thought there were two people involved and Clifford might have been as guilty as Aidan O'Shea on it.

"But if you're giving black cards for abusive language to an opponent, you're going to be giving out a lot of black cards in a game so I think it's slightly harsh if that is the reason for it."

Pat Spillane added: "Initially when I saw it, I thought there was two fellas grappling and I thought there has to be two black cards. It's a harsh black card."

O'Shea returned to the field shortly after the second half started but was substituted off in the 64th minute.

READ NEXT:

Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.