While having some sympathy for them, Donal Óg Cusack says referee Colm Lyons wasn't the reason why Clare lost yesterday's All-Ireland SHC semi-final.

The Cork match official irked the Banner when he blew for a free-in following a foul on Peter Duggan rather than allow Mark Rodgers’ second half goal to stand after Kilkenny full back Huw Lawlor dropped a high ball.

"Clare can count themselves unlucky in that," the three-time Cork All-Ireland winning goalkeeper said on The Sunday Game.

"But I don’t think that was the biggest thing out of the game. Clare would be better off looking at themselves. There is a tendency over the last while to be focusing out of those types of big decisions, but it is swings and roundabouts.

"Colm Lyons didn’t strike all the balls wide that Clare did today. Didn’t strike all the balls wide last year. They were the architects of their own downfall with that goal. That wasn’t Colm Lyons’ fault.

"For Clare, going forward, it needs to be looking inward rather than looking for some scapegoats."

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