Naomi Long MP said: “I am shocked and outraged at this attack. I do not know what could possess somebody to throw a firework in the direction of another person.
“Fireworks are extremely dangerous and if not handled correctly then they can have the potential to severely injure or even kill. We can only be thankful that the two Glentoran staff members were only shaken by this incident and not worse.
“I hope that these two staff will be able to make a quick recovery from what must have been a traumatic and frightening experience.
“Legislation was bought to the Assembly last year by the Justice Minister David Ford who saw the importance of increasing the punishments for offences by spectators such as we have seen tonight.
“If any of the Portadown fans witnessed this incident then I would urge them to contact the police. This firework could have gone off in their section of the stadium and might have severely injured a number of fans if it was thrown from a crowded part of the ground.”
ENDS