Very out of character for Kevin McStay.
The Roscommon manager stormed onto the Hyde Park pitch just on the stroke of half-time during the Rossies’ second round Super 8s clash against Donegal.
McStay appeared to have been aggrieved due to one of his players being on the receiving end of an apparent kick from a Donegal man in stoppage time of that first half.
No free was given and the Roscommon manager was riled up as a result. The frustration of a disappointing first half showing from his team in front of their home Dr Hyde Park crowd may have been weighing on his mind, and he raced in off the sideline in the direction of the game’s linesman.
McStay pointed and gesticulated towards his player who had been kicked and he pushed the linesman on his travels.
A number of players got involved then as things got heated with referee Ciaran Branagan making the wise decision there and then to blow it up for half time.
On the back of Diarmuid Connolly receiving a 12 week ban for a similar incident last year – ironically that incident was with the man in the middle for Saturday’s game, Branagan – there have been calls for McStay to receive a similar punishment.
James Horan and Peter Canavan had their say on things at half-time in the Sky Sports studios.
“That’s not appropriate, there may be follow up action as a result of that. I think Kevin McStay may be in trouble here,” said the former Mayo manager.
“If the linesman said to the referee in the changing room that he was man-handled, well then something will need to be done about that,” said the Tyrone man.
The Mayo native spent his second half in the stands on the back of his indiscretion.
Things only got worse from there on in as the Connacht side succumbed to a 0-20 0-13 defeat and their Super 8s dreams are now dead and buried.
