The GAA says it is awaiting the report of referee James Owens after it emerged Tipperary were 4-20 to 0-30 two-point winners over Kilkenny in today’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final, one point less than the scoreboard in the stadium suggested.
A Noel McGrath effort at the end of normal time was waved wide by the umpire, but given as a point on the scoreboard, apparently putting Tipp four up, 4-21 to 0-29, at the time.
Speaking after the game, both Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng and Tipp boss Liam Cahill confirmed that they thought the difference had been three points at the final whistle.
Kilkenny therefore spent the remaining four minutes of injury time thinking they needed a goal, but when Jordan Molloy pointed in the 72nd minute they would actually have had 2:45′ to potentially score more two points and force extra-time.
The game ended shortly after Robert Doyle blocked a goal-bound shot from John Donnelly on the line.
Multiple angles later confirmed the McGrath shot had gone wide and there is no suggestion Owens awarded the score. No white flag was waved and Hawk-Eye was not consulted.
However, the GAA also complicated matters by initially confirming the Tipperary score as 4-21, before later revising that.
A GAA statement said: “The GAA can confirm that the official score at the end of the Tipperary v Kilkenny GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final was 4-20 to 0-30.
“The GAA acknowledges there was confusion over the final score. The CCCC is awaiting the full referees report in order to establish how the initial mistake occurred.”
“Psychologically, when you’re on the field watching the scoreboard late on and it’s three points, you’re thinking ‘goal’,” said former Galway star Joe Canning on The Sunday Game.
“But if that was two points, you tap one over and then you try and win the puck-out, tap another one.”
Tipperary will play Cork in the All-Ireland final on 20 July.
