Former Mayo manager James Horan believes that Jim Gavin's decision to condemn broadcast media coverage over the incident which led to Diarmuid Connolly's 12-week suspension has reignited the controversy.

Following his team's 31-point win over Westmeath last Sunday, Gavin hit out over "the bile and the malevolent attitude" that certain broadcasters went after Connolly with following the incident during the Dubs' victory over Carlow earlier this month which saw the St Vincent's man push linesman Ciaran Brannigan.

Writing in his Irish Daily Star column today, Horan felt that the three-time All-Ireland winning manager took the wrong approach after his side's Leinster semi-final win at the weekend.

"Jim Gavin threw petrol on the fire last Sunday and many are wondering why he did so," the Ballintubber man wrote.

"There's been so much talk about Connolly and Dublin that I have a feeling Gavin wanted to show his group that they're not taking any crap from anyone. But I do think he's created a situation that Dublin don't need.

"The fuss over Connolly had died down. Now all the talk is about it again. I can't see how that will help the Dubs."

Horan feels that Connolly "has taken a serious amount of flak" since the incident and added that Gavin's approach hasn't helped matters.

"The way he (Gavin) went about things after Sunday's win over Westmeath wasn't the right approach," he added.

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