Former Kilkenny goalkeeper Micky Walsh says he feels sorry for the players who were “let down” by the scoreboard confusion in Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tipperary.
There was controversy in injury time at Croke Park when an error on the stadium scoreboard – also reflected in TV graphics – created uncertainty about the actual score. Kilkenny ultimately lost out to Tipp in a close contest, with the mistake leaving fans, players, and management frustrated.
Speaking on the KCLR Hurling Podcast, Walsh said that while Kilkenny made plenty of their own errors on the day, the scoreboard issue was a particularly harsh blow for a committed group.
“The result is the result, the performance is the performance and there’s other factors involved, there’s loads of mistakes we made. This is a monumental one. The people I feel sorry for are the people within the group who’ve put their lives on hold and they deserve better,” Walsh said.
“After that, I don’t know where it goes or what can be said. It’s a very difficult one. I’m sure if I was involved or you were involved, we wouldn’t have any restraint. But there has to be a situation where we have to have a look at it and see where we think it might improve in the future. They need to come out and take ownership of it and take it from there, but I don’t see what else can change.”
Calls have grown for the GAA to investigate how such an error could happen at such a high-profile game, with many supporters pointing out the stakes involved at this level of championship.
Meanwhile, two Kilkenny players have earned spots on the GAA.ie Hurling Team of the Week despite the semi-final loss.
O’Loughlin Gaels’ Jordan Molloy and Tullaroan’s Mossie Keoghan both made the best 15. Keoghan has also been nominated for GAA.ie Player of the Week, alongside Cork’s Alan Connolly and Tipperary’s Jason Forde.
