There was no shortage of Ulster club drama over the weekend, with the four quarter-finals in senior football championship providing plenty of memorable moments. That included in the game between Derry champions Glen and Antrim kings Cargin, who played out an enthralling clash at Celtic Park yesterday.
Glen would eventually emerge as winners on a o-11 to 0-7 scoreline, moving them one step closer to retaining the title they won for the first time in 2022.
With this two sides having also met in provincial competition last year, this was always likely to be an intriguing affair. Cargin came into the game as underdogs, although they would have fancied their chances of producing an upset.
They would ultimately fail to do so, although their prospects in the game were not helped by a red card in the first half.
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Harsh red card sees Antrim champions eliminated from Ulster
Tomás McCann was the Cargin player to be sent off, with the Antrim champions reduced to 14 men in the 26th minute of the game.
He was given his marching orders for a hefty challenge on a Glen player, one which referee Conor Dourneen was worthy of a straight red card. However, some feel he was hard done by.
You train all year to be faced with decisions like this that have a massive bearing on any game. This a straight red card 🤯 in the first half of a ulster championship clash which went right to the wire. I’ve seen bigger hits at my kids U-7 matches. pic.twitter.com/95n4bWVXEl
— Kieran Close (@kieranclose11) November 12, 2023
Shoulders to the head are a red card, although this challenge does not necessarily fall into that category. The opposition player was off balance and a yellow card might have sufficed on this occasion.
It was always going to be an uphill battle for Cargin from this point onwards, with Glen controlling the game well throughout the second half.
Speaking after the game, Cargin manager Ronan Devlin labelled the decision as an 'absolute howler' and felt that it completely changed the dynamic of the contest (h/t Irish News).
He (the referee) changed the game like that.
Tomas McCann is one of the cleanest players in Antrim. He lost the ball, made a genuine attempt to get it and caught the man high. The reaction of the (Glen) bench pretending he elbowed him was ridiculous. It totally changed the game.
I’m not saying we’d have won the game but to be denied the chance to win it… It sticks with me, it does. That was a sore one.
They always die with their boots on and today they had to do that. I’m taking nothing away from Glen, they’re a great side as everybody knows and I wish them well in the next round.
On our own behalf I just wish we’d had a fair crack at it. The red card changed the game so it’s very, very disappointing.
The Antrim champions might well view this as an opportunity missed.
As for Glen, they will now prepare for an Ulster semi-final against Naomh Connail of Donegal in two weeks.
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