Damien Duff has strongly condemned the actions of a Shelbourne supporter last night, with their game at Drogheda United being delayed after an assistant referee was struck with a pyrotechnic thrown from the away end at Weavers Park.
The game would finish in a 2-2 draw, with Sean Boyd scoring an injury time equaliser to secure a point for the visitors. However, the most notable incident of the game would come after that late strike.
Match official Dermot Broughton would be struck by an object that appeared to be thrown from the away end. The game was stopped for around 15 minutes as a result, with the assistant requiring medical attention. He would eventually return to the game, although he would be stationed on the opposite of the pitch for the final moments of the fixture.
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Damien Duff condemns incident involving Shelbourne fan
The individual responsible for this incident has been widely condemned, including by the other Shelbourne supporters on the night. It has been reported that they quickly identified the person responsible and pointed them out to stadium officials.
Speaking to LOI TV after the game, Shels boss Damien Duff was scathing in his response to the incident, labelling it as 'caveman behaviour'.
Shelbourne head coach Damien Duff gives his reaction to the incident that marred the end of his side's draw with Drogheda United tonight.#LOI | #DROSHE pic.twitter.com/jUhHCJm0CS
— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) April 5, 2024
First and foremost, I hope the linesman is okay.
In this day and age to raise your hand at someone or throw an object, it's something I'll never be able to get my head around, whether it be walking down the street or at a football game.
We have the best fans in the country, so I don't want them all tarred with one brush. One person can let you down.
It's the same on the football pitch. I always tell the guys 'don't be the dope, don't be the one person'. One person has let this football club down tonight...
It will be the headline and I can't argue with that. I'm not trying to bring everyone else down with us, but around the league, since I've come here but obviously it's gone on for many years, objects are thrown.
It's ridiculous, it's caveman behaviour. I'm not even sure cavemen would do it.
I got hit at Dalymount Park last year, I think a linesman got hit at Dalymount Park last year. It has to stop.
We talk about flares having to stop, okay, it's become a culture in the game here. But throwing an object at another person at a football game or in the street, shameful...
I'm just really angry and I could see that our fans were really angry. I went down to them at the end and there was a bit of self-policing going on.
At the end of the day, it affects the football team now. Like I said, he or she should be ashamed of themselves.
Shelbourne fans could well face a stadium ban for their next away fixture on the back of this incident, a punishment that was also handed out to Bohemians earlier this season.
This result maintained the club's position at the top of the League of Ireland Premier Division, although the gap to second has now been reduced to six points on the back of Derry City's win over Dundalk.
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