The Allianz Football League Division 1 final between Dublin and Derry was full of twists and turns, drama and reasons why fans love the league. One moment though that was a lowlight in what was an overall great day of football was the mass brawl that took place in extra time.
It luckily was able to cool down before it got seriously out of hand with the brawl amounting to mostly shoves and dragging, but it is still not what we want to see in what is meant to be a big day for GAA.
For his role in the melee Dublin's Paddy Small received his second yellow card of the day and was sent off while Derry captain Conor Glass was also given a yellow.
On the League Sunday the panel spoke about the incident and former Kerry man and All-Ireland winner Tomás Ó Sé felt Dublin were to blame for the brawl and called it 'stupid' for the Dublin players to start the whole debacle.
But there was no need for Tom Lahiff and Cian Murphy to have a cut off Conor McCloskey that started the whole thing, I think that was stupid, they had just got their score, they should've just gone back in position and set up.
But look, there was a lot of pushing, a lot of shoving, a lot of bodies, didn't look well at all at all but I don't think there was anything major in the actual fracas itself. But it all started because of the Dubs scoring and then retreating and having a go at McCloskey.
Ó Sé continued, saying that incidents like this could cost Dublin later on in the Championship and hints that they should be more wary of incidents like this.
Fenton was getting caught for that outside, two to three of them in a key moment of any big game could easily get sent off for what they just did there, you know and the ref didn't see it, but on another day it could catch them and could be the difference between winning and losing.
"Melee", "fracas", call it what you will, the panel have their say on the extra-time confrontation between Derry and Dublin. #AllianzLeagueSunday #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/ydBPrsConb
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) March 31, 2024
We shouldn't let this incident ruin what was a dramatic league final and one that Derry fans won't want to forget in a hurry.
SEE ALSO: Joe Brolly Was Put Through The Ringer During Derry's Dramatic Win Over Dublin
