O'Dowd says injured players need protection

GAELIC GAMES/Club Championship/Clontibret v Cargin: Clontibret manager Mick O'Dowd has called for better protection for injured players on the pitch.

His comments come as one his players, Niall Malone, is to undergo an MRI scan today to ascertain the extent of the neck injury sustained in Sunday's controversial Ulster club championship draw between the Monaghan champions and their Antrim counterparts Cargin.

According to O'Dowd, two of his players, Malone and Darragh Mooney, were pulled and dragged at by opponents as they lay unconscious on the field in Casement Park.

"Players have to be looked after better in these situations. If a player goes down the referee should protect him. To see players hauling and pulling at lads who were down hurt incensed me. The only ones who should be allowed go near injured players are physios or team doctors."

The match was held up for nine minutes while Malone and Mooney received treatment. Malone injured his neck in a fall. "Niall was knocked over," according to O'Dowd, "and I thought he was caught by a player's knee. The ball came out of his grasp and he tumbled on to his head. He needed oxygen."

It's not clear how Mooney got knocked out but he was red-carded while unconscious for what the referee later confirmed had been striking with his knee.

While the players were being jostled, O'Dowd ran on to the field - not for the first time during a match in which there were a number of incidents - and clashed with Cargin goalkeeper Aidan Craig, who was also red- carded.

"I shouldn't have gone on to the field," says O'Dowd, "but I was concerned for the players. I can understand the 'keeper getting annoyed at seeing me coming on - it probably looked like I was getting involved but what was happening could have been dangerous. I'd like to thank the Cargin physio who was a great help to us in looking after the situation."

The Clontibret manager concedes his side was lucky to survive the tie.

"They were probably the better team. We didn't perform well and got little change out of the middle of the field.

"I was in the hospital visiting Niall and met one of the Cargin lads, who was in with a dislocated shoulder. Niall's being kept in for a few more days but Darren's fine, although he didn't know what had happened when he came to - what the result was, that he'd been sent off.

"He headed back to Dublin because he's got exams (in DCU) at the end of the week."

The Ulster Council is waiting for the referee's report before taking any action in relation to the match, which will be replayed in Clones next weekend.

O'Dowd says that he doesn't believe the replay will be rancorous. "No. When a game is over, it's over."

Win or lose, he has one offer for a certain visiting follower. "I'm fairly sure this had to be someone from Cargin," he says, "who found and handed in my wallet afterwards. There was a good few bob in it, as I was on the way back from Cheltenham at the weekend and I'd done reasonably well. I don't know who it was, but I'll happily buy them a pint in Clones."