Whelan: Maguire red card decision was 'appalling'

RTÉ analysts Peter Canavan and Ciaran Whelan were sharply critical of the decisions to send off both Ian Maguire and Lee Gannon in Dublin's narrow win over Cork in the Division 2 clash.

Jack McCaffrey returned to competitive action for the first time in three years as Dublin heaved themselves over the line against an energetic Cork challenge in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

However, an entertaining encounter was touched by controversy in the second half, both sides reduced to 14-men, with first Maguire and then Gannon handed debatable red cards.

Maguire, in particular, was aghast at seeing the line early in the second half, as a result of three relatively innocuous fouls. Gannon was dispatched subsequently by referee Seamus Mulhare for shouldering Sean Powter off the ball after feeding a handpass.

Speaking on Allianz League Sunday, two-time All-Ireland winner Canavan said he hoped the card-happy officiating was not a portent of things to come in the summer.

"I hope it's not a sign of things to come, otherwise there'll be a lot of men making the walk to the sideline.

"The first (Maguire) card, he had already been noted and the ref came in with two fingers up to say this is the second time. But it was harsh.

"The ref can go by the letter of the law and he can say I'm right to give him a second note and that means a second yellow card.

"You just look at the reaction of Ian Maguire (before the second yellow), he's convinced himself that he's never getting sent off for that."

Whelan went further, branding the Maguire call "appalling" and said Gannon's dismissal was partly influenced by the need to even things up.

"For the second one (Gannon sending off), we reckoned the ref was going to level it up. I think Lee Gannon lays off the ball, he expects