Clare dual star Podge Collins admits that he deserved to get sent off against Wexford last Saturday.

The Cratloe clubman was dismissed towards the end of the first half of the drawn SH Qualifier for pulling David Redmond's faceguard and he concedes that, according to the rules of the game, he had to go:

"It was a moment of madness. It was a split-second thing, a regrettable thing that happened. It wasn't that I thought about it or anything like that. It was stupid.

"It's in the moment. I can't describe it. Something happened that I wasn't thinking. It's an out-of-body thing where you do it impulsively and immediately afterwards you realise it's a red-card incident.

"I know I didn't hurt anyone doing it. But it's in the rules that it's a red-card offence and I knew after I did it was trouble. I regretted it immediately. It was a bit of frustration. We were losing a game and I was trying to get into it. I gave away a free and that just capped it.

"When the referee pulled the red card out, I was obviously gutted that I let the team down, I let the manager down, I let Clare down. It was my mistake and I will deal with the consequences.

"I was lucky enough that the lads, in fairness, showed great character and came back from that deficit with 14 men. It would have been a lot worse for me if we lost the game."

Collins is suspended for tomorrow's replay at Wexford Park but is free to represent the county footballers in their Qualifier against Carlow. Tweet

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