Armagh will feel like they missed a big opportunity against Tyrone yesterday. Despite not playing all that well and having only 14 men for the majority of the contest, they still lost by only two points in Omagh.
It could have been a different game had Kieran McGeeney's side managed to keep their full compliment of players on the pitch.
Rian O'Neill would be sent off just before the half hour mark for a nasty incident in which he placed his knee on the head of a Tyrone player Cormac Quinn during a tussle on the ground.
🟥 Red card for Rian O'Neill and now Armagh are facing uphill battle
Moments before Peter Harte hit post, the Armagh full-forward got involved in an altercation
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📻 Listen live - https://t.co/2SRRKdgjzu pic.twitter.com/MRR4onzHS3— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 3, 2023
The offence was spotted by the linesman, who brought it to the referee's attention.
Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney gives red card excuse
Rian O'Neill can have no complaints with this decision. While we have seen other players get away with similar incidents in the past, there is no doubt that he an endangered an opponent by placing his knee and body weight on the head of an opposition player.
However, the player himself clearly feels hard done by.
Speaking to RTÉ after the game, Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney said that while he had not seen the incident, O'Neill told him that the Tyrone player was at fault.
'We missed enough to win four games - @Armagh_GAA boss Kieran McGeeney reflects on the loss to Tyrone #rtegaa #sundaygame pic.twitter.com/6GoXUDArkW
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 4, 2023
I haven't seen it.
I just talked to Rian, he said your man (Cormac Quinn) pulled him on the jersey down on top of him. That's all I know about it...
There was a lot of dangerous play out there, so there was. If someone's pulling you by the jersey, as I say I haven't seen it, but he says your man wouldn't let go of his jersey.
Looking at the footage of the incident, it's difficult to buy that excuse.
Both Peter Canavan and Ciaran Whelan said on RTÉ yesterday that Rian O'Neill was rightly punished on this occasion, a sentiment shared by Enda McGinley on The Saturday Game.
Missed goal opportunities and Rian O'Neill's red mist cost Armagh but they'll be heartened by their second half against Tyrone, suggests Enda McGinley #SaturdayGame #GAA pic.twitter.com/punQHA4tRX
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 3, 2023
Whatever Armagh were trying to do, it then changed following this sending off by Rian O'Neill.
Rian would play the game on the edge. If you watch his left arm both in that clip and this one, there is a jab action. I think he has a go at a wee rabbit punch to Cormac Quinn's head.
He had the knee placed on the head too, so I don't think there can be much complaint from Armagh...
Tyrone at that time also got away with a textbook black card from Michael O'Neill that was missed given everything else that was going on.
While Armagh can rightly question why Michael O'Neill wasn't given a black card on this occasion, they can have no complaints about the decision to send Rian O'Neill off.
Their star forward is now set to miss their upcoming game against Galway.
SEE ALSO: Paul Flynn Calls For More Use Of Rule That Gave Kerry Controversial Penalty
