Derry City boss alleges sectarian abuse from Cork City staff

Derry City manager Kenny Shiels has alleged he was the victim of sectarian abuse in the aftermath of the defeat at Turner’s Cross last night.

The Candy Stripes were on the way to their fourth away victory of the season but late goals from Danny Morrissey and Kenny Browne gave Cork City all three points.

After the final whistle, Shiels and members of the Cork coaching staff had to be separated on the field and the City boss revealed the reasons behind the altercation.

“I’m really angry at their lack of hospitality towards me at the end as hosts,” he said. “The way they treated me, the coach, the manager and the assistant was outrageous. John Caulfield was going mad with triumphalism shouting ‘We played you off the park’, and then their coach called me a sectarian name, and the one in the glasses was looking to fight me.

“I’ll not tolerate that. I’ll fight my own corner. I’m not going to be walked over like that. I was absolutely disgusted by their behaviour and I’ll be making decisions to see what we can do to get something done about it. I’m not going to tolerate it.”

Shiels is now considering taking the matter further.

“I don’t know. They have been inhospitable from day one when we asked them to change the bank holiday game to 5 o’clock which all the other clubs did. They said no and they made us play here at quarter to eight at night. That’s just an example of how inhospitable they have been and I’m not happy with their manager and their coaching staff.

“They have beaten us and surely that should be enough. They were really, really rude and they were shouting and roaring and I thought the guy was going to collapse. I’m not going to tolerate that and I don’t want that to hide the fact that we were really, really decent on the ball and the way the boys played tonight. It was a really good performance.”

Asked about the incident, Caulfield, whose team remain in second place, told Soccer Republic: "I don’t know anything about that. I think it was a storm in a teacup. I think Kenny was quite agitated at the end with the referee and with maybe some of our staff and whatever.

"Look it, I've seen a hundred things way worse. That’s the first I've heard of that.  I think it was just excitement. He was obviously really disappointed. We were excited and probably some of our management were excited. At the same time there was nothing in it and I'm surprised with that comment."