While insisting that he didn't cost his side the game, Liam Kearns hit out at the performance of referee Paddy Neilan after Tipperary's defeat to Armagh.

The Roscommon match official was escorted from the Semple Stadium pitch after he was confronted by a Tipperary fan who was no doubt enraged by some of the controversial refereeing decisions he witnessed. Neilan's interpretation of the advantage rule angered and confused both sets of supporters, but the Tipperary manager took even greater issue with claims that his players were guilty of diving.

"My players don't dive. They just don't dive. So that was a huge issue for me. I think there were eight frees, maybe more over the game, and all I could see was that [mimicking diving hand gestures]. My players don't dive, so I have an issue with that," he told Sky Sports.

"Also, I thought the advantage rule just wasn't used. It just wasn't applied. I don't know why that was. And that was for both teams. Look, the referee didn't cost us the game, and I don't want to say that he did. Armagh were the better team, they won the game and I want to leave it at that."

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