Shamrocks Ballyhale could be without Paddy Mullen for the St Canice’s Credit Kilkenny Senior Hurling Final against O’Loughlin Gaels on Sunday week.
Mullen was shown a straight red card in Sunday’s semi-final victory over Dicksboro — a decision that has sparked plenty of debate among fans and analysts alike.
Speaking on KCLR’s Full Time with Eddie Scally, hurling analyst Mark Dowling weighed in on the incident, saying he didn’t believe the sending-off was justified.
“It was not a red card in my opinion for me. Watching it on the TV and watching it live, I did not see anything to be honest. I thought that decision was probably wrong to be fair,” said Dowling.
Dowling also reflected on how the game developed after the incident, noting that the early stages were tense before the red card seemed to spark both sides into life.
“The match was slow to get going — a lot of these matches can be, with tension and nerves. For players, it takes a while for them to find their feet. Sometimes it takes an instance to free up that tension and nerves. The red card probably did that and things kicked off from there.”
With the final looming large, all eyes will be on whether Ballyhale will be able to appeal the decision and have Mullen available for what promises to be another classic Kilkenny showdown.
You can hear more from Mark Dowling on the podcast version of Full Time, available now wherever you get your podcasts, thanks to St Canice’s Credit Union.
