The GAA Social Extra: Red carded O'Neill a victim of 'failure to protect top players' says McConville

Rian O'Neill was sent off at Healy after being adjudged to have made deliberate contact with his knee to the head of Tyrone's Cormac Quinn

Oisin McConville says Armagh's Rian O'Neill was a victim of referees "not protecting the better players" when he was red carded in Saturday's All-Ireland SFC defeat by Tyrone.

McConville's nephew O'Neill was sent off after his knee was deemed to have made contact with Cormac Quinn's head.

Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney said after the game that O'Neill felt he had been "pulled down" by his jersey.

"I didn't think there was a big pile in it to be honest, " said McConville.

Speaking on BBC Northern Ireland's podcast The GAA Social, the 2002 Armagh All-Ireland winner said TV replays were inconclusive over wrongdoing by the talented Crossmaglen forward.

"I'm not making excuses for Rian. One of the things I was told at the start of the year by the referees' committee was that they were going to protect the better players and they are just not doing that."

'The need for two referees now obvious'

Asked whether the Crossmaglen star gets involved in stuff that he shouldn't get involved in, McConville replied: "He gets no protection whatsoever.

"People say because he's bigger than everyone else and stronger that he should be able to take it and all that…..pure nonsense. You either protect the player or you don't."

Wicklow manager McConville says he was given an assurance at the start of the season that the game's top players would get protection from match officials in 2023 but that "this is not happening".

McConville added that the O'Neill incident on Saturday only gives further substance to his belief that two referees are required for modern day gaelic football.

"When teams transition now, you are talking about guys who can do 100 metres in 11 or 12 seconds.

"The referee is not going to keep up with that. Referees are making decisions from 60 and 70 yards away and that makes it very, very difficult."

McConville wasn't impressed by either Tyrone or Armagh

Looking more specifically at the Omagh contest, McConville admits that he was not particularly impressed with either team.

"Armagh really and truly had enough chances to win. The couple of goal chances they had early on…..it was just criminal [missing them]. That's the difference between winning and losing as it's the difference about how you go about playing.

"But realistically [after O'Neill's red card], Tyrone should have seen that game out quite comfortably and yet if Oisin Conaty is able to get his toe to that ball that Niall Morgan dropped [late in the game], Armagh would have scrambled a draw and then the conversation changes completely.

"For 10 minutes of the game you were thinking 'these boys can really challenge [for an All-Ireland]' but I couldn't believe the drop-off in Tyrone in the second half.

"Granted, it would not surprise you if Tyrone or Armagh met a Galway or Kerry at some stage and were able to put in a performance and beat them.

"But it's the consistency of performance and that's why it's difficult to see either of those teams winning an All-Ireland, whereas you think Kerry could put those games back to back."

Oisin Gallen (centre) hit nine points for Donegal at Ballybofey as Chrissy McKaigue (right) struggled to contain him

'Derry looked vulnerable'

McConville also was not entirely convinced by Ulster champions' Derry's display in Ballybofey as they stayed on course for a direct route through to the All-Ireland quarter-finals by beating Donegal 3-14 to 1-15.

Derry will be guaranteed a quarter-finals place if they earn a home win against already eliminated Clare on the weekend of 17-18 June by a bigger magnitude than a Monaghan victory over Donegal although mathematically, the Farney County and Aidan O'Rourke's side can still top Group Two, with the latter requiring a win over Vinny Corey's men in addition to an unlikely Banner County triumph over the Ulster champions.

"There's no way you are going to go the whole way through the season [playing well]," added McConville.

"Derry saw the game out fairly comfortably in the end but they did look vulnerable."

The former Armagh star hailed Oisin Gallen's display for Donegal as he hit 0-9 which included two marks and four points from play.

"It's just unfortunate for Oisin Gallen that he has come around when things are a lot tougher for Donegal. He has been dogged with injury. Hopefully he gets a run at it because I do like watching him."

Looking at the weekend's Tailteann Cup action, McConville was impressed with Antrim's display as they secured direct passage to the quarter-finals by beating Fermanagh 3-13 to 1-12 at the Athletic Grounds.

"Going on the past, you would have expected defections and people walking away [after their Ulster Championship exit] but Andy McEntee seems to have been able to keep almost everybody and it's bearing fruit big time."

Tyrone-Armagh game not a sell-out

The BBC NI GAA podcast also touched on the subject of comparatively low attendances at some of the weekend's games with the Tyrone v Armagh contest, for example, not a sell-out.

McConville feels there is something of a generational divide now in terms of how young people and long-standing GAA watchers view the possession-based football which most inter-county and top club teams now employ.

"Younger folk are probably immune to it at this stage. It's been going on since it really kicked in in 2008 or 2009 and it's just gotten worse as a spectacle since that.

"Players and managers and coaches don't see that. They are trying to win a game and are taking pride in the fact that they have been able to figure it out, get it done."

And while there have suggestions that further rule changes need to be considered to attempt to reduce long periods of ball retention, McConville is not convinced that there is an easy cure for this perceived blight on the game.

"There's no rule that you can bring in that will change it to the extent that will make it more pleasing on the eye. In fact, some of the rules that we have brought in have made it worse."