Football: Goalkeeper strikes teammate in Irish football match

A violent altercation between teammates has overshadowed a football match in the Irish Premiership on Sunday.

Glentoran was leading 2-1 when Cathair Friel equalised for Coleraine in the 80th minute, with the score 2-2 at the end of the game in Belfast.

As Coleraine celebrated the goal, Glentoran goalkeeper Aaron McCarey immediately made a beeline for his teammate Bobby Burns, appearing to strike him around the face and pushing him to the ground.

Glentoran goalkeeper Aaron McCarey immediately made a beeline for his teammate Bobby Burns.

McCarey then dragged Burns up by his jersey, before their teammates intervened and tried to separate the pair.

The goalkeeper was evidently angry at the defender for allowing the equaliser to be scored, but his violent act didn't go unnoticed by the referee, who immediately showed McCarey a red card.

Football pundits were stunned a player would turn on his teammate in such an aggressive manner.

England great Gary Lineker shared the footage of the incident, tweeting: "Wtf?".

Glentoran club legend Paul Leeman described McCarey's outburst as "crazy" and "madness".

"I've never seen anything like it, it's a moment of madness," he said in commentary on the BBC.

"It's madness from the goalkeeper. Yes, he maybe has a problem with Bobby Burns' part in the build-up but you just can't do that.

"That's just madness. It's crazy.

"I saw it when it happened and I couldn't believe it. The players weren't happy when he did that."

Speaking after the match, Glentoran coach Mick McDermott tried to brush off the incident.

"Is there trouble in the dressing room? No, absolutely not," he said.

"The players are sitting in there. Nobody falls out. They're all grown men.

"It's an incident that shouldn't have happened and now we move on.

"Two players got in a row, it's happened before. It's not nice, they are both disappointed with it and we move on.

"It's not a major incident like we've got two players fighting in the changing room. We don't have unrest in the dressing room.

"The two players are sitting beside each other in there now, both guttered about what happened, as are we.

"I am more concerned about how we conceded the goal before the incident."

McCarey strikes Burns after the goal.

McDermott said Burns had reassured him McCarey had not made direct contact to his face and there was no ill-feeling between the pair.

"Aaron has come into the dressing room and said he shouldn't have done it, he has held his hand up and Bobby Burns the same," the coach said.

"They're both gutted with what happened, so look, we'll deal with it.

"I spoke to Bobby and he said he didn't strike him in the face. There was no contact with the face.

"Bobby confirmed in the dressing room, I actually brought him into my office, he said there was no contact with his face but when he fell back he hit his head on the grass and that was the reaction.

"If it's on social media, I'd say, 'And what?'. It doesn't make it any better or any worse. Let them put it on social media. Couldn't care less."