Dublin manager Jim Gavin says all Gaelic football players and managers want from referees is consistency.

His comments follow Sunday’s drawn All-Ireland final with Mayo, when he saw influential wing-back James McCarthy black-carded in the first half.

McCarthy was shown the line after 23 minutes, replaced by Paddy Andrews, for an off-the-ball collision with Mayo captain Cillian O’Connor.

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Gavin doesn’t believe that the clash warranted a black card and feels that if it did, match official Conor Lane should have been showing a few more cards over the course of the 2-09 to 0-15 draw.

“If James got a black card for that particular shoulder, there was definitely other ones on the opposition side,” said the double All-Ireland-winning boss.

From the referee’s performance, we’re just looking for consistency. That certainly wasn’t out there today.

“So I think from both camps' perspective, we just want consistency over the full expanse of the game from the refereeing perspective.

“I thought he did a good job because they were difficult conditions. That surface is one of the slippiest in the country when it gets wet. But I thought overall he managed it well.

“I suppose when you look at why the black card was brought in, it was for cynical play, for blocks, pull-downs or trips.

“I don’t think it fits into that category. But from the referee’s performance, we’re just looking for consistency. That certainly wasn’t out there today.”

Gavin didn’t have any issue with Lane’s decision to play seven minutes of additional time at the end of the second half.

With further stoppages there were nearly nine minutes extra played, during which time Mayo came from three points down to level the game and force Saturday week's replay.

Many managers would have been fuming, but the Dubs chief felt it was a fair reflection of the stoppages in the second half.

This season the GAA introduced a directive to referees calling on them to add on 20 seconds per substitution made and with 12 switches on Sunday that’s four minutes before any other halts to play are taken into consideration.

“Not at all; I wouldn't have any issue and in fairness the officials have been consistent throughout most of the games, in Gaelic football anyway, in most of the games we've seen so I wouldn't have any issue with that at all.”

We had the luck and hopefully we'll have it again in two weeks' time.

No starting Dublin forward scored from play in the first half against Mayo and in the end the team only ended up with six scores from play - 0-2 from substitute Andrews and 0-1 apiece from Dean Rock, Diarmuid Connolly, wing-back John Small and midfielder Brian Fenton.

Gavin knows that this, along with other aspects of their performance in the draw, wasn’t good enough to ensure a Sam Maguire victory, though he says that the flat performance had nothing to do with the heavy weight of expectation on the Boys in Blue.

“Yeah that certainly isn't good enough to win an All-Ireland title - getting that much from play and some of our shot selection could've been better,” he said.

“So to come away, to be still in the competition, hitting six from play you're happy, getting the luck, we had the luck and hopefully we'll have it again in two weeks' time.”

About the pressure on his players he added: “The players are very accustomed to that performance bubble. We’re just meeting a very good side in Mayo, a top-class side and there is only going to be that bounce of a ball between us

“The players know there's no guarantees in sport - none - and that's why we all love sport, when two teams go head-to-head we don't know who’s going to win and we don't know who’s going to win the next day, that's the great thing.

“The team that turns up and performs will deserve the title this year.”