St Finbarr's left with regrets but good refs know difference between players seeking contact and foul play

Good forwards know the methods through which to manufacture a free.

Good defenders know how to avoid giving them cheap opportunities.

Good referees know the difference between players seeking out contact and genuine foul play.

On first viewing from the Old Stand press box at Semple Stadium, there appeared to be an element of engineering involved in Dingle’s Munster final-winning free against St Finbarr’s being advanced 50 metres.

Corner-back Brian O’Connor rushed towards Dylan Quinn and bumped the ball from his hands.

In fairness, his haste was understandable given the 20 seconds left on the clock for Dingle to find an equaliser — or even a winner.

Repeated viewings of the TV replay didn’t particularly negate that initial thought concerning the harsh nature of the free.

AVOIDABLE

Still, they demonstrated how Quinn could’ve better avoided the situation. He should’ve simply left the ball on the ground after the whistle.

Once he picked it up, the onus was on him to ensure it was immediately returned to the nearest opponent. Dingle desperately needed to make something happen, and O’Connor’s sharpness made it happen.

But Quinn’s offence seemed a minor infraction upon which to alter the course of the Munster final endgame.

When such trivial transgressions decide provincial finals, does the punishment fit the crime?

Referees have praised the 50m sanction for cutting down on dissent and delaying tactics.

Such is the positive response, the hurling development committee has reportedly been laying the groundwork for a similar rule to be introduced into their code.

Last weekend, attending a Munster intermediate hurling final defined by flashpoints, such an option for the referee to move the sliotar away from the initial dispute could’ve helped to avoid one red card.

However, in a case where the delay seems more incidental or manufactured, a more sensible interpretation would be to let the play take its own course.

We all know certain frees that are pulled up in the early minutes are far less likely to be called when a team is hunting a winner. Down the stretch, referees are more likely to step aside and await the stonewall decision than be seen to take centre stage by swinging the outcome.

AMBIGUOUS

In the circumstances, this call seemed more ambiguous than stonewall. Perhaps these are teething problems that will be eliminated in the long run as players adjust their habits. Otherwise, the worry remains that further finals could be decided by the most tenuous decisions.

Before we leave the refereeing, the Barrs could also have cause for complaint over the failure to award a 40th-minute penalty to John Wigginton-Barrett. The corner-forward was given a tap-over free, but the tangle with Conor Flannery clearly occurred inside the square.

Paul Geaney’s protests for a footblock penalty against Ciarán Doolan appeared more hopeful, given the distance between the shot and block.

All that said, the Barrs will regret game-management glitches which contributed to their own demise.

In the build-up to the decisive free, Quinn’s better option was to send the unmarked Conor Dennehy into an open lane, rather than directing Ian Maguire down a dead end. Still, Mark O’Connor gets full credit for reading the pass and stopping the Cork midfielder.

Earlier in stoppage time, the otherwise impressive William Buckley missed two chances for insurance points. For his first, a miscued handpass, Eoin McGreevy was free on his shoulder for a tap-over score.

His second miss originated from a hard-earned Steven Sherlock turnover.

MAGNIFICENT

That moment should’ve capped a magnificent winning performance from the Barrs captain. His 0-16 haul was achieved inside 41 minutes, converting a remarkable six two-pointers and four singles from 14 shots. In total, he’d 0-7 from play and 0-9 from frees.

“I never, ever heard of that,” said Dingle match-winner Conor Geaney.

“To kick 16 points and lose the game is just outrageous stuff.

“The two-pointer frees he kicked were just insane. Every time we got back within a few, it was just like a dagger by him.”

Dingle tried everything to avoid positioning Kerry corner-back Tom O’Sullivan on Sherlock, preferring to maintain his attacking influence.

When he did go back as a stopgap between the 26th minute and half-time, Sherlock immediately marched him out to the corner flag.

The choice was between a damage-limitation role off the ball or quarterbacking the Dingle attack. They chose the latter. O’Sullivan kicked two points, assisted three, and won a pointed free for another.

Still, it didn’t look like paying off until Dylan Geaney caught fire with eight second-half points.

When Dingle trailed by seven, he launched a two-pointer. When they were five down with seven minutes to play, Geaney kicked the next four while the Barrs didn’t add another score.

His brother finished the job from that final, controversial free.