Derry manager Damian Barton vented his fury at the dismissal of Emmett McGuckin against Tyrone, claiming the underdogs often get a raw deal from referees.

McGuckin was sent off on a second yellow card by Down referee Ciaran Branagan seven minutes into the second half of the feisty Dr McKenna Cup encounter, which was a dress-rehearsal for the neighbours' Ulster SFC quarter-final later this year.

"We're disappointed," Barton is quoted in the Irish Daily Star.

"The decisive point was our full forward getting sent off. We'd be concerned that favourites usually get the decisions.

"I thought they got a few easy frees and there were a couple of decisions that could have gone our way and didn't."

Barton's opposite number Mickey Harte acknowledged that the sending off had a big bearing on the outcome.

"If we hadn't had the extra man, it would have been difficult to climb back and win the game, but with the extra man we were able to utilise that and pick off the scores that we needed."

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