Cathair Friel scored the game-tying second goal for Coleraine against Glentoran on Saturday. But after that goal, Glentoran goalkeeper Aaron McCarey became the story.
McCarey reacted angrily when his side conceded. He lashed out at teammate Bobby Burns and received a red card from the referee.
Burns lost the ball during the lead-up to the goal.
The goalkeeper grabbed Burns by the neck and then dragged him after he had fallen to the ground. Teammates Patrick McClean and Rhys Marshall reacted angrily to McCarey, separating the duo before it could go any further.
BIG TALKING POINT 😲@Glentoran goalkeeper Aaron McCarey sees red for lashing out at team-mate Bobby Burns during their side's 2-2 draw with Coleraine at the Oval.
Report & reaction 👉 https://t.co/DDQkyaJAGB#bbcfootball #BBCIrishPrem pic.twitter.com/mRIhCw86wP
— BBC SPORT NI (@BBCSPORTNI) October 16, 2021
Glentoran manager Mick McDermott backed his goalkeeper after the game.
"I'm more concerned with how we conceded the goal," McDermott said.
"Aaron has come into the dressing room after the game and said he shouldn't have done it. He held his hand up and Bobby Burns is the same, they've both got it. I've spoken to Bobby and he didn't strike him in the face. Bobby said that grabbed him and Bobby fell. But there was no contact with the face.
"When he fell back he hit his head on the ground.
"The players are sitting in there, there's no falling out, they're all grown men. It shouldn't have happened."
Although McDermott attempted to downplay the incident, it was enough to harken back to Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer's infamous on-field fight from 2005.
Since there was a goalkeeper involved, one can only think of Jason Statham's The Monk character in Mean Machine. But even the Monk only actually attacked the opposition in the end.
Assuming further footage doesn't surface, we can take the manager and player's words for it that nobody was hurt and this incident will blow over.
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