Louth County Board condemns 'unsavoury incidents'

The Louth County Executive Committee has held a meeting and reviewed the post-match incidents from the Leinster SFC final between Louth and Meath.

Joe Sheridan's controversial injury-time goal, which gave Meath a 1-12 to 1-10 victory, sparked an angry reaction from a small minority of Louth fans who confronted referee Martin Sludden on the pitch afterwards.

Sludden and Meath's Mark Ward were allegedly assaulted and a steward was struck by a bottle, aimed from the stands, amid unruly scenes at Croke Park.

A statement from the Louth County Board read: "On behalf of Louth GAA, we wish to condemn the unsavoury incidents after the match.

"We will provide full co-operation with the relevant authorities to deal with the offenders."

In his referee's report, Sludden has admitted that he made a mistake in allowing Sheridan's crucial goal to stand. The GAA said today that "under GAA rules, a re-fixture cannot be ordered as the referee's report of the full-time score is final."

In the interest of fair play and to take the somewhat tainted look off their title win, many observers feel that Meath should offer their neighbours a replay.

The Meath County Board held a meeting tonight outside Navan, but failed to make a final decision on the possible offer of a rematch. They are waiting on a full copy of the referee's report and input from the players and management before deciding on their course of action.

The Louth County Board are in a similar boat. Their statement concluded: "We are also seeking a copy of the referee's report for clarification purposes to enable the Louth Executive Committee to consider all options available.

"We wish to confirm that no further official statements will be forthcoming on behalf of the Louth County Board on this matter until further notice."