20-05-2025
Sunday Game's Tailteann Cup blunders not a great look
Aaron Kernan has said that the Sunday Game analysis of Leitrim-Sligo didn't 'have a great look to it' after analysts made a number of blunders.
Last Sunday's Tailteann Cup tie, which Sligo won by four points, was afforded a slot on RTE's highlights programme with former Dublin star Paul Flynn and ex-Westmeath manager Dessie Dolan running the rule over it in studio.
Flynn referred to Sligo goalkeeper Aidan Devaney as 'Lyons' when highlighting a crucial save that had been made to deny Darren Cox, while Dolan mixed Sligo manager Tony McEntee up with his twin brother John and also referenced a 'Nathan Murphy' when, presumably, it was Yeats captain Niall Murphy that he meant to single out.
The errors were picked up on social media with Sligo PRO Padraig McKeon, posting on X in a personal capacity, saying it was 'just not good enough'.
Ex-Armagh star Kernan was drafted into the Sligo set up in a coaching role last winter and is a former club and county teammate of the McEntees.
He said: 'I would say their main focus in terms of what analysis they would show on the night would have been based off the Sam Maguire games and then you're only watching clips.
'I know they're twins and they're identical twins but Tony's been operating between Mayo and Sligo for a considerable period of time. He got a bit of slagging over it alright now within the Sligo management with WhatsApp chat.
'But yeah, there was a few names that were incorrectly thrown in there in terms of even goalkeepers and that there.
'I thought the length of coverage it got was very good. The length of time that they chatted about it was very good. Whenever you're getting names mixed up and names wrong, it doesn't have a great look to it. But, at that stage, it was nearly after 11 o'clock on a Sunday night. It's been a long day.'
He continued: 'I'm not sure that he [Dolan] was getting mixed up with Nathan Mullen who plays for Sligo and is just out injured. But Niall [Murphy] would without doubt be our most prominent and high profile player.
'Obviously what he's done with Sligo, Coolera, representing in International Rules, it was an unusual one, particularly from Dessie because he was part of the Westmeath management group whenever they won the Tailteann Cup a couple of years ago.
'So we'll put all that there down to late nights and long days,' added the BoyleSports ambassador.
