Adam Hogan believed referee Liam Gordon had blown his whistle to award Clare a free in injury time of Sunday’s Munster senior hurling championship final.
Gordon was in fact signalling the end of the game, much to the frustration of Clare supporters who felt their side had claims for two frees during the closing passage of play when both Tony Kelly and Hogan were on the end of strong challenges.
“Yeah, [I was] on the floor when I saw him blow the final whistle, I thought it was for a free myself,” admits Hogan.
However, there are no lasting grudges with the rising Banner star.
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“Can’t really blame the ref, to be fair to him,” continues Hogan. “He makes how many decisions a game? The heat of the moment, it’s a split-second [decision], can’t really blame him.
“There was no talk about it [in the dressingroom afterwards]. To be honest, it was all disappointment, just about the game really.
“Brian [Lohan] came in and was talking and he said, we’re still in this championship, it’s there for us if we want it, if we just get rid of the uncharacteristic mistakes.”
Hogan was Clare’s representative at Tuesday’s launch of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship at the De La Salle club in Waterford.
If the post-match talking points on Sunday focused on Clare not being awarded a late free to draw level, then in the days leading up to the contest the choice of venue filled plenty of column inches.
Clare, not wanting to face a trip to Cork and failing to get traction on their case for Thurles, ultimately made a poker play by saying they would be prepared to hurl in Limerick.
With an agreement that ticket allocation would be split on a 50-50 basis, and permission for Clare to train at the Gaelic Grounds in advance, the 2023 Munster senior hurling final was fixed to take place in the home ground of the defending champions.
“I wouldn’t call it a factor anyway,” says Hogan. “We were in there training the Sunday beforehand, just getting used to the pitch and stuff.
“I think the leadership group, the older lads, I think Brian asked them. I didn’t mind going in there at all. I think it was crazy going down to Cork, a two-hour journey, [compared to] half an hour to the Gaelic Grounds. I didn’t have any problem with it anyway.”
[ Why Clare’s passion for the Munster championship burns like an undying flameOpens in new window ]
But the talented defender did have issues with the regulations that denied him the opportunity of captaining Clare in this year’s Munster under-20 championship final, as the contentious seven-day window forced him to make a call between playing for the seniors or the under-20s.
“It was disappointing, captain of the team and couldn’t even play the Munster final,” says Hogan, who is not eligible for the grade next year.
“I was at it, I was in the dressingroom beforehand, but didn’t really know what to say and stuff. Fair play to the lads, they did themselves proud. You’d love to be out there, can’t really do anything on the sideline.
“Personally, I think the rule should be different, that the management of the under-20s and Brian and the player itself should pick if they want to play or not.
“If you think about it during the league, Mark Rodgers played three games in seven days. If they’re looking at it during the summer, why don’t they look at that, I suppose? It’s a bit unfair. I’d change it, that it’s down to the players and management.”
