Cork City manager John Caulfield has dismissed Derry boss Kenny Shiels' allegation that he was subjected to sectarian abuse by a member of the Leesiders staff.
Derry led the Premier Division clash from the 55th minute through Niclas Vemmelund’s header but the hosts hit two late goal to claim the spoils.
However, Kenny Browne’s injury-time winner led to a spat on the sideline, during which, Shiels alleges, he was called a sectarian name.
Shiels told RTÉ Sport: “They got the assistance of the referee, which was disappointing. The referees are only human and they do make mistakes.
"There seemed to be some kind of [element] of getting carried away with the crowd and making decisions that were definitely favouring the home team and I was really disappointed in that.
"They were bang out of order at the end, it was really disappointing [with] their staff.
"It was incredible what I had to go through.
"I went over to the referee and I said 'ref, surely you seen that was a goal kick; it wasn't a corner.
"And that’s the way I said it. I wasn't angry or shouting at him.
"He says 'look, if I made a mistake I'll admit it, I'll have a look at it on Monday', which is fair enough, that was good.
"But John [Caulfield] starts to shout 'we played you off the park' and then one of them called me a sectarian name.
"And there were three of them around me then and all I was doing was saying to the referee, quite mildly, I said 'look, you’re bound to have seen it wasn't a corner because you were in a good position and I was on the halfway line.
"That’s all that was said and the referee will confirm that, I'm sure."
“They were bang out of order at the end"
Asked about the incident, Caulfield, whose team remain in second place, four points behind leaders Dundalk, said: "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."
