It's a rough old game, football

An animal welfare charity has condemned an incident in which a lamb's leg was thrown onto the pitch during trouble at a football game at the weekend.

The leg was one of several missiles thrown after a match between Ballymena United and Distillery on Saturday.

A USPCA spokesman said it "demonstrated general disregard for animal welfare".

"It also follows a recent incident in which a horse's head was left outside the home of a hockey player in Cookstown," he added.

Irish Football Association chief executive Howard Wells said there would be a "full investigation" into the trouble at Ballymena Showgrounds.

The referee needed a police escort off the field, while the two managers had to be kept apart.

Players were also involved in jostling after the whistle was blown on a 2-2 draw.

In addition to the lamb's leg, a chair and at least one bottle were thrown onto the pitch.