Former Donegal manager Jim McGuinness believes the free given against Galway’s John Daly in the closing stages of yesterday’s All-Ireland SFC final should’ve been a free out to the Tribesmen.

The game had been in the melting pot on 0-16 apiece in the 67th minute when centre-back Daly was penalised while in possession for appearing to hold the arm of Kerry substitute Killian Spillane.

David Clifford struck over the resultant free and the Kingdom went on to kick the next three points to cement their 38th Sam Maguire Cup success.

Speaking on Sky Sports afterwards, McGuinness said the decision from Sean Hurson to award the free should’ve went in the Connacht champions’ favour.

"I think there's a couple of things for me," said the 2012 All-Ireland winning manager.

"First of all would be the fact that in the context of the game they had won the turnover. And whenever he (Daly) won that ball, his first instinct was to get out with the ball, so his forward motion was there, and the second thing was he has his hand on him first, so he's got his hand on him first and there's a forward motion to get out with the ball.

"If I'm coaching U12s that's the one thing I'm going to say to them. As soon as you feel contact try and get out with the ball and the referee will give you a free all day long. And the fact that the arm stayed in and he did hold his arm then secondly.

"So for me, I can see why the ref gave it in terms of the holding the defender but for me, it was a free out because of two things; the body position and him looking to go out the park even though he slipped in the first instance and he was trying to get out the field and his hand was there first.

"Everything pointed to a free out and it didn't come."

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