Sligo's eventful National Football League campaign continued at the weekend. Whereas a week ago the issue, arising from their opening league match, centred on too many players on the field after Kildare used six replacements, the controversy this time concerns too few. The narrow win over Down featured four red cards despite being what Down selector John Murphy described as "not at all a niggling match".
It would be interesting to see what the refereeing assessor makes of the performance of Limerick official Michael Ryan whose previous outing at Parnell Park for the Dublin-Donegal match provoked the description "awful" from one of the mentors involved.
Murphy added: "It was frustrating for both teams on what was a fine day with a good sod. The refereeing was very pernickety and fragmented the whole game."
The players dismissed with straight reds were Down's Gregory McCartan and Seán Ward and Sligo's Gerry McGowan and two yellows for Ronan Murtagh from Down ensured his dismissal.
Of Ward's dismissal Murphy said: "He did retaliate but he was provoked and referees always seem to react to the retaliation rather than the original provocation. We were actually holding him back for this match because he's been nursing a hamstring pull since the commencement of the league. That's why we introduced him after about 20 minutes. I'd says he was hardly on the field when he got sent off."
The dismissal meant Down lost both centrefielders before the end of the match as McCartan followed Ward to the line halfway through the second half. McCartan was one of only two survivors of Down's last All-Ireland success eight years ago - the other was Micheál McGill - although veteran attacker Mickey Linden is resting after Mayobridge's run to the Ulster club final and will be available later in the season.
Overall Murphy - in his 13th year with manager Peter McGrath in charge of the team - has mixed feelings about the league to date and Down's record of won one, lost two. "I'm disappointed because we could have maximum points. Even against Mayo we definitely had the chances but kicked some awful wides. You can put the Sligo match down to inexperience and heavy underfoot conditions but our shooting let us down again. I am delighted with the way the young fellas are applying themselves.
"We had the chances on Sunday to win the game but put two or three scoreable frees wide. When we were two men short we pulled the forwards back and they played the extra men between the half backs and midfield. So we had to pack that area and squeeze it up tight. I think because of the effort put in we hadn't the puff left at the end. But I felt we should have got something."
Meanwhile, dissatisfaction has emerged over the decision to play postponed league matches this weekend, clashing with the Sigerson Cup, hosted this year by Sligo IT. Mayo, for instance, have delayed naming a team for their match - against Sligo - because of the Sigerson commitments for James Gill, Trevor Mortimer, Michael Moyles and Pat Coyne who are involved with Athlone IT.
The problem has been exacerbated by the unavailability of four Charlestown players who are preparing for next week's All-Ireland club semi-final against Nemo Rangers - David Brady, who has rugby commitments, and the injured David McDonagh, Colm McManamon and Ray Connelly.
Dublin are understood to be trying to shift their match with Offaly from Saturday to Sunday whereas Tyrone, who have a number of players also involved with the Sigerson, are believed to be looking for a postponement from next Sunday to the St Patrick's weekend, which is the one remaining free weekend between now and the end of the league.
