Glentoran goalkeeper sent off after assaulting teammate in moment of madness

Glentoran goalkeeper Aaron McCarey had a moment to forget this weekend, when he received a red card for wildly attacking teammate Bobby Burns after conceding an equaliser in their NIFL Premiership draw with Coleraine.

The hosts were on course for a 2-1 victory heading into the final stages of the match, but Cathair Friel latched onto a through ball to level up the scores. The home team were visibly frustrated to have thrown away their advantage, but one teammate in particular allowed his feelings to boil over.

Goalkeeper McCarey lost his mind at the defending he'd witnessed ahead of him, and rather than simply venting his frustrations, he went on the offensive. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man charged out of his goal to confront his defenders, but went about seven steps too far.

McCarey immediately struck Burns in the face and sent the Glentoran man flying to the ground, before then grabbing him by the shirt and trying to pull him back to his feet.

Glentoran teammates quickly cottoned onto what had happened and one pelted the ball at McCarey in an attempt to make him let go. Fortunately the referee had also seen the incident, and sent off the disgraced shot-stopper.

Glentoran manager Mick McDermott said McCarey was 'gutted' by his attack on Burns, but insisted that he boasts a 'close-knit group' of players.

"I didn't see it at all at the time, and I've only see a tight angle of it on an iPad inside. So I haven't seen the zoomed out shot from our analysis cameras," he said.

"But Aaron has held his hands up in the dressing room and said it shouldn't have happened. There's no falling out here amongst players. We have a close-knit group here.

"He is gutted, Bobby is gutted. Everyone is gutted. But that was the incident after the goal. I have to look at the objective part of how the goal was conceded, and it was a really poor goal to concede."