Roscommon lost their second game of the Super 8s on Saturday evening, falling by seven points to Donegal at Hyde Park.
Kevin McStay, the Roscommon manager, cut a frustrated figure throughout the match. That was especially apparent late in the first half when he appeared to push linesman Niall Cullen.
McStay also appeared to toss a football at Cullen as the players walked off the pitch following the half-time whistle. The 56-year-old later said that he apologised to Cullen.
"Michael Murphy drove through the middle, pushed a guy clean out of the way with his leading arm, and kicked it over the bar," McStay told Sky Sports after the game.
It should have been a free out.
Then this big play just before half-time. It's obviously our free. The linesman sees it - Niall Cullen is right beside me, sees it, won't call it.
I go to him and ask him to call it. It's a very simple one to call. There's a bit of afters - our fella gets a wallop, and then they just blow up for half-time.
That's just not the way to officiate properly.
The referee for the game was Ciarán Branigan, the same official who was shoved by Diarmuid Connolly during last year's championship resulting in a 12-week suspension for the Dublin player.
Speaking to Off The Ball following the game, McStay went further in his criticism.
"Ciaran Brannigan, I imagine, didn't see it because he was the wrong side of it.
"The linesman was facing it but I come across a lot of this officiating over the last two years and some of these linesmen are incredibly precious and they like to play the hard man when they're on and it's not very pleasant when you're trying to manage a team.
"All you're looking for is a bit of civility and a bit of decency and they just dismiss you like you've nothing to do with the bloody occasion.
"You know, I put a lot of time into it - I've been agitated a bit more than I should have been, like we're all trying to get the win and a little bit of courtesy from officials, you know, most of them find it very easy to be courteous and help out any way they can within the rules of it and then some of them go off - I don't know what the term is I'm looking for - yeah, less than generous with their time - if you let me put it that way."
Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
