Monaghan midfielder Darren Hughes has had an eight-week ban upheld by the Central Competitions Control Committee.

It's after an incident the Scotstown clubman was involved in during the Farney County's 1-10 to 1-6 win over Rory Gallagher's Fermanagh side at St Tiernach's Park in Clones in Round One of the All-Ireland senior football qualifiers on Sunday June 9th.

Laois referee Maurice Deegan handed out the punishment to Hughes on the grounds of 'any type of physical interference with an opposing player' while acting as a maor uisce.

Hughes is currently out injured as he recovers from a broken ankle, but he is expected to recover for later in the championship if Malachy O'Rourke's side were to progress deep into the summer.

Hughes, who has represented Ireland in the International Rules series and is a two-time Anglo Celt winner with Monaghan, became involved in a scuffle involving a number of Fermanagh and Monaghan players. That incident led to the sending off by Laois referee Maurice Deegan of two Fermanagh players - Paul McCusker and James McMahon.

Those nasty scenes came after the Erne County had conceded a late goal, as Monaghan punished a bad kick-out from the away side, and Kieran Hughes, brother of Darren, laid the ball on a plate for his Scotstown clubmate Conor McCarthy to palm home to the net.

Those sending-offs meant Fermanagh ended the game with just twelve men, as Lee Cullen had been given his marching orders earlier in the second-half.

It is expected Monaghan and Hughes will now take their appeal further to the Central Appeals Committee.

They next take on Kieran McGeeney's Armagh side this coming Saturday evening at 7pm in Round Two of the football qualifiers. That game is again to be played at St Tiernach's Park in Clones.

Monaghan were All-Ireland semi-finalists last year, topping their Super 8 Group ahead of Galway, Kerry and Kildare before losing out to Mickey Harte's Tyrone by a single point in the semi-finals.