Gaelic Games

The Schemozzle: Down’s Daniel Guinness gets punished for simulation

Laois turn around their year in the best possible time

Down’s Daniel Guinness challenges Padraig Faulkner of Cavan. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho
Down’s Daniel Guinness challenges Padraig Faulkner of Cavan. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho
Paul Fitzpatrick
Mon Jun 19 2023 - 09:00

An unusual incident occurred in the Cavan v Down match at Kingspan Breffni. With five minutes to go in the second half, Down midfielder Daniel Guinness, who played a key role for his side, brushed against Cavan’s Ciaran Brady in front of the stand, off the ball.

Guinness crumpled to the turf, much to the displeasure of the home supporters. Referee Séamus Mulhare made a beeline for the Mourne man and dished out a yellow card, presumably for making a meal of the contact.

Pundits including Colm Parkinson, Darran O’Sullivan and Ciaran Whelan have highlighted a growing trend towards players “going down too easily”, as Whelan termed it earlier this season, but refs rarely intervene.

“I think it’s definitely crept into the game,” said Dean Rock back in March. “It’s certainly becoming a problem in Gaelic football.”

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To be fair to Guinness, who had a very good game, he could be seen pleading his case to Mulhare, swinging his leg to indicate there had been a trip.

Number

5-25

What the peerless David Clifford has scored in five championship matches this season.

Laois turn around year in best possible time

If there was an award for turning your year around at the best possible time, it would have to go to Laois. A round six loss to Leitrim effectively cost them promotion from Division 4 in the league and while they beat fellow league basement-dwellers Wexford, they ran into Dublin in the Leinster quarter-final – and it wasn’t pretty.

They didn’t win any of their three group games in the Tailteann Cup yet are the last of that quartet still standing following impressive away wins against Fermanagh and Limerick, both hot favourites.

Limerick lost to Laois in March of last season by a point in the league, a campaign which ultimately ended in relegation. There were only five survivors from their starting team on that occasion who lined out against the Treaty on Saturday.

Quote

“My own personal opinion is that the provincials aren’t working. The provincials don’t work, straight up.”

Offaly hurling manager Johnny Kelly after his side’s heavy loss to Tipperary.

Kildare’s eclectic year

Will the real Lilywhites please stand up? Kildare had an excellent win over Roscommon, Kevin Feely sealing it with a memorable mark.

The upset continues a trend for Kildare. Operating in Division 2, Kildare won three and lost four games. Their championship form has been similarly up and down. A 10-point win, a two-point loss when written off, a draw when strongly fancied, a nine-point loss followed by the latest victory over the Rossies.

Their league and championship form all told for 2023 reads LLWLLWWWLDLW – and yet they’re in the last 12 in the Sam Maguire having just picked up their best win of the year. Could the Shortgrass county be dark horses (pun totally intended) for a run to the latter stages?

Familiar winners in handball

The first senior championship finals to be staged in Croke Park in 2023 took place on Saturday with the All-Ireland Senior Softball Singles handball finals for men and ladies.

And while the venue changed (these were the first singles finals to be played in the brand new show court at the National Handball Centre), the identities of the winners were very familiar. Robbie McCarthy from Westmeath claimed his 10th title, with Cork’s Catriona Casey winning her sixth.