The Tyrone county board is to launch and investigation into a brawl which marred one of its showpiece occasions, the Division One football league final.
The clash of Dromore and Errigal Ciaran erupted into violence in the closing stages at Fintona on Saturday.
Five players were sent off, before order was restored and Dromore held on to lift the title with a four points win over the defending champions.
Errigal Ciaran’s Niall Kelly and Eoin Kelly were shown red cards, as were Dromore pair Sean McNabb and Paul McHugh. And Errigal finished with 12 men after Ben McDonnell picked up a second yellow card.
“An otherwise sporting game was interrupted by a brief but unacceptable sequence of events in the closing stages,” said Tyrone PRO Eugene McConnell.
“The Tyrone Competitions Control Committee will await the report of the referee and a full investigation will be carried out.”
Ryan McCusker’s second half goal was the vital score that put daylight between the sides, after the St Dympna’s had fought back from a two points interval deficit, with Peter Harte netting a penalty for Errigal.
For Dromore, the 1-10 to 1-6 title success represented the culmination of a solid response to a low-point of a season that reached a low ebb when they suffered a heavy championship defeat at the hands of neighbours and eventual champions Trillick.
For Errigal, it was a case of rueful reflection on painful defeats in both the league and championship finals of 2019.
