Referee sends Brennan into rage

DERRY boss John Brennan last night challenged referee Maurice Deegan to come to him and explain why he awarded a penalty to Donegal early in the second half of the Ulster final at Clones.

A furious Brennan insisted that goalkeeper Danny Devlin did not foul Michael Murphy and that no penalty should have been awarded.

The Oak Leaf manager also claimed the Laois official was 60 metres away from the incident when he made the decision three minutes after the restart, with Murphy scoring the only goal of the game from the resulting penalty. Brennan said Deegan also refused to consult with his umpires.

“He was asked to consult with the umpire, he didn’t do so. That was the turning point of the game,” said Brennan, who claimed his side had a legitimate penalty claim turned down late in the tie when Emmet McGuckin was fouled.

“Then with 10 minutes to go, we had a fella, he was manhandled, I’ll put it as mildly as that, and we don’t get a penalty. I would love to get inside his brain and try to ask him, is there something in Portlaoise that I don’t understand in Derry.

“I would love him to come and tell me as a Derry manager where he got that from — 60-odd metres away.

“Let him be a gentleman and come and talk to me, man to man, and say what our goalkeeper did to constitute him awarding a penalty.

“I had a better view than the referee. He decided it was a penalty.

“That is wrong, what he did there today. His umpires are there for the simple reason that he consults.”

Brennan claimed that his side actually should have had two penalties.

“How do you legislate for the fact that we had two penalty claims and got none, and a goalkeeper comes out and he runs into the forward, and they get a penalty?

“I’m not blaming Donegal. They took the opportunity that was handed to them, I’ll put it as mildly as that.”

Now the Oak Leafers are facing a six-day turnaround before their next big challenge, a qualifier clash with Kildare on Saturday.

Asked if he would consider making a request to Croke Park for a delay in the fixture, Brennan suggested that he could only expect a decision similar to those made by the Ulster final referee.

“If there are decisions like that out there, how could I get an extension to a six-day turnaround?

“I’m only a manager, I have nothing to do with the rules and regulations. And if decisions go like that out there, how could I get an extension to a six day turnaround.

“Cork and Kerry are cute, as usual — they have three weeks.

“If the Ulster Council want to play this on a certain day, as far as I’m concerned, they don’t care about Donegal and Derry. That’s them finished, over and done with, and it’s now a national programme of fixtures, which is organised by Croke Park, two different bodies. So who do I appeal to?

“I have no authority to challenge Croke Park on some rule that was made a few months ago.

“I know it’s unfair.”