In an ideal world, the aftermath of Friday's clash between Drogheda United and Shelbourne would have focused on an entertaining night on the pitch and a dramatic ending following Sean Boyd's late equaliser for Damien Duff's current SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division leaders.
However, deep into stoppage time the football was overshadowed by an unseemly incident at Weavers Park after linesman Dermot Broughton was struck by an object - which appears to have been a smoke bomb - thrown from the section housing the Shels away support.
The turn-of-events prompted referee Rob Hennessy to pause the match, before taking both teams off the field while Broughton was medically assessed.
After a 15-minute stoppage, Broughton returned – but to the other side of the pitch – as the game's final seconds were played out.
In the aftermath, Shelbourne and manager Duff emphatically condemned the actions of the individual who threw the object.
It's far from the first time that such an incident has occurred. Indeed just a few weeks ago, Bohemians defender Cian Byrne was struck in the arm after a flare was thrown from the stand where his own side's supporters were congregated during a match away at St Patrick's Athletic.
Speaking on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast, former Drogheda United and Longford Town centre-back Graham Gartland said Friday's incident at Weavers Park was another reminder of the need to clamp down fully on the use of pyrotechnics by fans inside League of Ireland grounds for the safety of players, officials and fellow supporters.
"It's completely unacceptable and first off, fair play to the linesman Dermot for coming back out and finishing the game as well," he said.
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"This (incident) is high profile because it hits somebody who's trying to do their job on a football pitch. It's the same with the Bohemians one.
"It was similar to one where Shamrock Rovers were down in Waterford where the fireworks go off, hits the ceiling and nearly hits the players.
"So because it's putting people in harm's way, these are the ones that get the most profile. This is completely unacceptable.
"It's totally past any type of acceptable behaviour that you'd ever see anywhere. So it has to be utterly condemned."
While Gartland added that pyro may add an extra visual element that amps up the build-up to a match, the risk of individuals being irresponsible makes it too great a risk and that it's high time not to allow any leeway.
"I'd have zero tolerance for people coming onto a pitch, people throwing things onto a pitch," he said.
"That's where people go to work, whether it's the officials, whether it's the players. That's their place of work. It wouldn't happen in any other environment.
"There has to be a blanket ban on the pyro from now on until there's a policing to come in to help that."
Gartland pointed out that on the parts of the continent where pyro use is commonplace, there is a degree of cooperation with fire marshals.
But he added that infrastructural issues in the League of Ireland would not make that replicable currently.
"Until the fans are able to control themselves when they have this stuff to hand, it just has to be stopped for a while until there are protocols put in place," he said.
"And if there are protocols put in place and if they do work with the fire departments in their areas, then you can start bringing it back where it's properly regulated in a way that nobody is able to throw it.
"And the fans end up working with the fire brigade and say, 'Look, this is going to be our pyro section and this is where we're going to work and this is where we'll put them out'. It all comes down to dialogue."
Watch Republic of Ireland v England in Euro 2025 qualifying on Tuesday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on 2fm's Game On
Watch Real Madrid v Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday from 7.45pm on RTÉ Player and the RTÉ News channel. Note coverage on the news channel begins at 7.55pm.
Watch Shelbourne v Bohemians in the League of Ireland on Friday from 7.35pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app
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