Aaron McCarey charged by Irish FA after clash with Glentoran team-mate Bobby Burns

Aaron McCarey has been hit with an Irish FA charge after his clash with Glentoran team-mate Bobby Burns during Saturday’s draw with Coleraine.

he goalkeeper has been charged with “bringing the game into disrepute” under Article 17 of the Irish FA’s Articles of Association.

There has so far been no sanction handed out after the charge was handed out the Irish FA’s disciplinary committee.

Instead, Glentoran have been invited to attend a hearing on Wednesday, November 3.

Article 17 indicates that any player found to have brought the game into disrepute shall be “liable to expulsion, suspension, fine and/or such other penalty or sanction” that the Irish FA Board, or the disciplinary committee if powers are delegated, sees fit.

McCarey was sent off after he lunged at Burns in the aftermath of Coleraine’s late equaliser, leaving the former Glenavon man on the turf at The Oval. Sanctioned with violent conduct, he has initially been banned for three matches ahead of any additional penalty handed out by the Irish FA.

Glentoran manager Mick McDermott said after the game that there would be consequences for the incident.

“It was an unfortunate incident that happens in football,” he said. “We don’t have any unrest in the dressing room, definitely not. Aaron put his hand up and apologised, he admitted his actions were unacceptable. These things happen, we are not happy about it.”

Earlier this week, former Irish League goalkeepers Michael Dougherty, Bobby Carlisle and Wes Lamont had their say on the controversy in the Belfast Telegraph.

“It may actually be something that brings the group closer together with them saying ‘the world’s against us and we have to be watertight in everything we do and stick together and look after each other’,” said Dougherty.

“You don’t want it to be something this serious for that to happen but you look for positives out of the negatives and that may be just the case with this issue.”