Time to stop complaining

Hands up all those of you who are sick of hearing and talking about this year's Leinster SFC final. You can add mine to those raised because Louth's tales of woe and the recrimination being levelled at Meath are getting very tired. Real GAA people have accepted the decision and moved on. Louth player JP Rooney has said he is happy a replay wasn't offered and he also levelled criticism at the top brass who passed the buck to Meath regarding the replay situation. The fact of the matter is that there is no rule allowing for a replay of the Leinster SFC final. Meath followed the rules and directives of the association and they shouldn't be castigated or vilified. In fact what Meath did was the bravest move of all. It would have been easy to say "Okay, we will offer a replay" but Meath looked at the greater picture and evaluated the can of worms that such an outcome could have cracked open which would have had serious future repercussions. Everybody loves to be liked. Nobody wants to be at the other end of a finger-pointing, but Meath will take the unjust criticism on the chin and walk proudly as Leinster champions. Those chumps and idiots that have tried to belittle Meath's Leinster title success should be ashamed. To say that the title is tarnished is utter rubbish. Leinster titles are not won by winning one game. The reality of the situation is that Meath got to the Leinster final by virtue of two 10-point wins over Offaly and Laois and an 11-point crushing of Dublin. In the final they played well below par and suffered quite a few poor refereeing decisions, yet they were still only one-point behind in injury-time against a Louth side that played to their peak. The fact that Joe Sheridan's winning goal was proven to be an illegal score does not diminish the hard work put in by 30 Meath players and their management to win a Leinster title. Those players deserve their medals. Sport is a cruel mistress. It can send you plummeting from the height of elation to the depths of despair in a heartbeat, but that is why we all love it. If there were no moments of controversy, brilliance or debacle then would we care as much? What happened after the final whistle has no place in sport, or in life. Everyone must take responsibility for their part in the dull day that threatened to cast a dark shadow over Meath's victory. However, the way the Meath players acted with such style and class in the aftermath of what was a very confrontational situation and also in the manner they held their heads up high as the country called for them to offer a replay makes me proud to be a Meath man and a loyal follower of the 2010 Leinster champions. All the calls that were made for the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) to step in and take charge of the situation should continue to be made because several incidents during the game need to be investigated and punishments handed out. If Paul Galvin and Tomas O Se can both be banned retrospectively for their fish hooking and dangerous elbow then the CCCC need to look at the clear attempt by Mark Brennan to eye-gouge Seamus Kenny. The punch received by Nigel Crawford at the final whistle from a Louth player and also the spitting incident that Cian Ward is alleged to have been on the end of should be investigated and the perpetrators should be banned. Claims that Meath are cheats and unworthy winners are more a reflection on those making such allegations. No Meath player cheated. The referee made a genuine error and that is the be all and end all of this tale.