Kevin Moran believes his Waterford team-mate Tadhg de Búrca was hard done by when getting sent off in the All-Ireland SHC quarter-final win over Wexford.

Barring a successful appeal, de Búrca will miss the Deise's semi-final showdown with Cork after being shown a red card by referee Fergal Horgan for interfering with the faceguard of Model County opponent Harry Kehoe.

Waterford captain Moran thinks some referees don't take into account the physical nature of the game when applying the rule.

"There were areas a few years ago when it was nearly embarrassing at stages," he pointed out to The Irish Independent.

"Guys were getting sent off for just a touch and I suppose it became a little bit more lenient over the last season or two - and rightly so.

"Obviously if there's a serious intentional interference it can cause damage, but look, it's a physical sport.

"It's very tough on him especially, but I don't want to go into that too much."

Moran added: "I think there are more dangerous things happening in a game than something like that.

"Okay, the faceguard and visor can come loose, but if someone is pulling the helmet and pulling someone to the ground, that's extremely dangerous.

"But a flick off the faceguard or it catches your hand and it opens up, it's not as though someone's head is taken off.

"It might look worse, but it's just the visor opening, and that's what happened."

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