Bad enough to rack up a fourth defeat in unfortunate circumstances, but the manner in which Cian O'Neill lost his captain has left the Kildare manager with a bad taste in his mouth.
O'Neill was outraged with the decision to red-card his captain Eoin Doyle 14 minutes into the Lilywhites' loss in Ballyshannon.
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Doyle had been booked earlier but then lost his gumshield.
Referee David Gough told him to go the sideline and get a replacement but on his way there the Kildare 'keeper aimed a kick-out at him, which he caught.
Gough showed him a yellow card and then realised that it was his second yellow, so he was shown red.
The Kildare manager felt that the game should have been stopped until his captain got off the field to replace his gumshield as the 'keeper was unaware of the situation.
"When you think of the sequence of events and how it happened, it is shocking," he told RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport.
"To be fair, in the first instance, Eoin's mouthguard got knocked out when he hit a hard shoulder, so the referee gave him the opportunity to go to the sideline to get one.
"But he didn't stop the game and let everyone know. No more than a bloodsub or a black card - you don't restart the game until the player is off the pitch for treatment or gets carded.
"Eoin shouted over to us, 'lads, I need a mouthguard'. He was coming over to get a mouthguard and the linesman was well aware of that because he was right beside me.
"Our goalkeeper was unaware of it, because why would he know, the linesman said he didn't even know. The ball was kicked out and, since you were four years of age, if someone kicks a ball at you your natural reaction is to go for it. The ball was kicked to Eoin as he was coming off the pitch and he just caught it," said an angry O'Neill.
"The referee gave him a yellow card. I told the linesman to tell the referee he was coming to get his mouthguard but there was zero communication there. Which is not good practice in my mind there.
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"To compound things then, the referee did not even realise he had given him a yellow card and allowed play to carry on. I mean, how many mistakes does it take to get things right? I don't know anymore.
"If you are going to ask a player to leave the pitch for any reason, then stop the play. Let him get off the pitch and then signal to the goalkeeper to restart the play.
The compulsory use of mouthguards was introduced in Gaelic football four years ago in an effort to reduce dental injuries. Players who do not comply are not covered under the player injury scheme.
