McGuigan still seething after Kerry defeat

The frustration of Tyrone's All-Ireland SFC exit to Kerry and his sending-off in the second half of the match is keenly felt in Brian McGuigan's latest 'Gaelic Life' column.

McGuigan does not hold back as he lambasts Declan O'Sullivan for his conduct which he felt helped referee David Coldrick reach his decision to dismiss the Tyrone substitute.

The pair clashed in the 56th minute with McGuigan striking O'Sullivan in the back and the Kerry forward going down - rather easily in some observers' eyes - and staying down.

He also alleges that O'Sullivan smiled and sniggered after McGuigan got his marching orders. He has 'previous' with O'Sullivan who refused to shake his hand after a league game which Tyrone won two years ago in Omagh.

Writing in his column, McGuigan insisted: "The one thing that is going to stick with me is the sight of Declan O’Sullivan smiling and sniggering when he got me sent off.

"I suppose it was a bit like when Cristiano Ronaldo had the wink when he got Wayne Rooney sent off at the World Cup. That image will never leave me.

"People might turn around and say I got Gregory McCartan sent off in an Ulster final (in 2003), but as I’ve said before, I never wanted to get him sent off. I regretted that he was.

"Declan O’Sullivan, however, I felt was more than happy to have got me the line."

He added: "He (O'Sullivan) was just pure ignorant (after the 2010 league game). Fair enough, it was hard on them, the way they lost (to Colm Cavanagh's late goal) but there's still a way to conduct

yourself."

The Ardboe clubman also took aim at current Kerry captain Colm Cooper, criticising him for being arrogant and hinting at a 'sore loser' attitude after Tyrone beat the Kingdom three times in Championship

action.

"Two boys I have found who always had an opinion about themselves were Declan O’Sullivan and Colm Cooper. They always gave the impression they looked down on you.

"When we were on trips away with the All-Stars, I got on like a house on fire with Tomás Ó Sé, for example. But not those two boys.

"That’s not sour grapes, because they’re class players. But there’s a way to go about things.

"I think O’Sullivan and 'Gooch' are from the same frame of mind as Pat Spillane, where they could never seem to accept that Tyrone could beat them.

"They didn’t like it when we came along and beat them not once but three times."

While some will feel that McGuigan is himself being a sore loser in going public with his allegations and opinions, he did pay special mention to Jack O'Connor and the Kerry supporters.

He praised Kerry boss O'Connor to sending him a 'get well' letter after he suffered a serious eye injury back in 2007.

The heartfelt support given by the hundreds of Kerry fans who stayed behind to cheer Mickey Harte as he emerged from the stadium after the game is also memory that is likely to stay with McGuigan and his team-mates for a long time.