O’Callaghan’s Mills manager Seán Doyle launched a fierce criticism of the officiating after his side finished with 12 men in a controversy-filled Munster Club Intermediate Hurling Final defeat to Upperchurch-Drombane.

The Clare champions trailed by just a point, 0-12 to 0-11, early in the second half when a chaotic 37th-minute incident saw both wing-forwards, Jacob Loughnane and Conor Henry, sent off by referee Nicky O’Toole.

Loughnane received a second yellow for a high tackle, while Henry, booked moments earlier, was shown another yellow for a verbal exchange with the referee. Matters got worse late on as Gary Cooney was given a straight red for retaliation, leaving the Mills with an impossible task.

Speaking afterwards, Doyle argued that the entire incident stemmed from a string of missed decisions in the moments beforehand, and said the referee had “lost composure”.

The ref lost composure there. He totally ruined the game. To me, that was shambolic refereeing, and just ruined the whole thing as a contest.

There wasn’t a dirty stroke in the game… but he left three or four pulls on that side, and it just rose the temper. That’s when emotions get the better of you.

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While admitting that Henry’s dismissal was deserved, Doyle strongly questioned the circumstances around the other two sendings-off.

Jacob Loughnane is one of our cleanest players. I’d say he’s never got sent off in his life.
Gary Cooney got nearly decapitated… he gave yer man a yellow card, and he comes around and gives Gary a red card. Yer man didn’t even go for the ball. He should have got a red as well.
Look, the ref lost control. What more can I say?

For Doyle, the cumulative impact of three red cards in a Munster final was simply devastating.

It just ruined the game as a spectacle… and I just thought we got the really raw end of the stick. To get three players sent off in a Munster final is devastating.

Upperchurch manager Liam Dunphy refused to be drawn into the controversy, saying he was too focused on reorganising his team during the chaos.

I didn’t really see them… when you see a red card flashing you’re thinking, what’s my set-up after this? Who do we move? Who do we free up?

Dunphy admitted his players needed time to settle but eventually took full control against the 12 men.

Still, he said the controversy would not overshadow the achievement.

In generations’ time, Upperchurch-Drombane will be recorded as Munster intermediate champions of 2025. Nobody will ever remember how many were on the field.

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