We can now put it to bed. First there was the incident, then there was the understandable reaction and then the hefty ban handed down by the CCCC. Tiernan McCann's eight week ban for discrediting the association has garnered all the headlines but there's still the matter of Darren Hughes initial ban to be sorted out.
There had been suggestions from some quarters that referee Marty Duffy had been intending to send Hughes off anyway before the hair tussle occurred. However, speaking to the Irish News, the Monaghan County Board have confirmed that the dismissal was for 'striking with the hand', i.e. the hair tussle.
So that's one excuse that Tyrone can cross off to explain away McCann's actions.
Granted it matters little in the grand scheme of things but, considering the subsequent ban for the Tyrone man, you would have to think that Monaghan have a good chance of getting that ban overturned.
Meanwhile, McCann is due to have an appeal against his ban heard this week in the hope that he will be free to face Kerry in the All Ireland semi-final this weekend.
