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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Mark Donlon

Glaring mistake from HawkEye during All-Ireland semi-final leaves GAA fans scratching their heads

GAA fans were left scratching their heads during the All-Ireland semi-final as a Shane Walsh point was inexplicably chalked off after the umpires consulted HawkEye.

With just minutes left in a very laboured and low scoring first half, Galway were 0-03 to 0-04 down and Shane Walsh had a free from the 45 to level the game.

Striking from the ground, Walsh looked to have converted the dead ball with no excessive fuss - but the excessive fuss was still to come.

READ MORE: Derry v Galway LIVE score updates, start time, TV and stream info, and more for the All-Ireland semi-final

The umpires signalled for HawkEye and the score decision system proceeded to display an imitation graphic of Walsh's free going to the left of the post and wide before producing its dreaded 'Níl' decision meaning no score.

And that appeared to be that - but as the half-time whistle sounded soon afterwards and the RTE cameras replayed Walsh's attempt, it clearly showed the free splitting the posts.

"That was a point, it went straight down the middle," RTÉ commentator Darragh Maloney commented as the replay was played.

RTÉ's Pat Spillane was apoplectic over the fiasco at half-time.

He said: This is an absolute joke.

"We saw with our own two eyes, it went between the posts. It was definitely a point. Hawkeye is available in a couple of county grounds in Ireland, they are being paid huge money to get things right.

This is wrong. If justice is seen to be done - and it has to be - the scoreline must be rectified by the referee."

Social media was awash with questions over the decision throughout the half-time break.

One user commented: "Wow!!! How was HawkEye called for that Shane Walsh point. That could be huge come the end of the game."

Another user had some scathing criticism, saying: "If that Shane Walsh point isn't re-awarded at half-time, you may as well decommission HawkEye now."

While another said: "So Galway get their point back - yet Glass’s effort was adjudged to be ‘less wide’ by HawkEye than Shane Walsh’s 45? Where does it stop?"

Thankfully, order was restored when match officials confirmed there had been a technical error with HawkEye and ultimately awarded the point to Galway.

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