Paddy O'Rourke described Armagh captain Kieran McKeever's sending off against Laois as "bizarre".

McKeever was a huge loss to the relegation-threatened Orchard County after he was shown a straight red card by referee Michael Duffy before the start of the second half for an alleged incident which took place in the O'Moore Park tunnel at half-time.

The Cullyhanna clubman had to be escorted off the pitch by Armagh selector Paul Grimley, who later had to be held back by stewards when he made a beeline for the referee after the full-time whistle.

"To lose the man at half-time was an incredibly bizarre decision," O'Rourke said.

"We honestly don't know why we lost him, he doesn't know why. He said nothing happened in the tunnel. Why we lost him I don't know."

Laois manager Justin McNulty, who is a former Armagh team-mate of McKeever's, claimed that the centre back was sent off because of an alleged striking offence in the tunnel at the break.

"There was an incident at half-time which the linesman happened to witness which Ciarán was sent off for," he said.

"Ciaran will know when you do that sort of thing, you have to pay the consequences. It was a striking action in the tunnel which the linesman witnessed right next to him, so you pay the consequences for that." Tweet

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