Pete McGrath felt Eoin Donnelly's early black card had a huge bearing on the outcome of Fermanagh's clash with Galway.

The Erne County captain was dismissed in the ninth minute and his absence was sorely felt, particularly in the second half when Galway recovered from a four-point half-time deficit to win by six.

"The referee didn't beat us," the veteran Fermanagh manager stressed in the Irish News.

"I don't think the black card was brought in for something as inconsequential as that. No-one saw what happened, it wasn't a scoring opportunity, nobody had the ball and it was away on the far side of the field.

"I don't know what he did, it seemed like nothing and then the referee sends off the captain of the team, one of the most influential players we have... it just does not make sense.

"Particularly in the second half his absence, his fielding and running ability, was very evident and had a real bearing on the eventual outcome of the game."

 

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