Community leaders from Irish Street, Top Of the Hill and the Bogside/ Brandywell areas in Londonderry were today meeting to discuss yesterday's scenes of violence as the "friendly" match - arranged over the internet - descended into chaos 15 minutes after the 3pm kick-off.

Three people also sustained serious injuries in violence which followed the game, organised by young people themselves over the popular internet site Bebo.

Sectarian taunts were circulated on the internet before the match, and continued after yesterday's violence. One said: "Let's maul those b*******."

Gangs of around 50 nationalists, the majority from the cityside, and 50 unionists, mostly from the Waterside, gathered at Lisnagelvin pitches yesterday ahead of the game. Community leaders and police were also drafted in after being alerted to the possibility of trouble.

Following a tackle, some people ran on and began attacking a player, sparking a riot.

One community worker at the scene but who asked not to be named, said: " About the third or fourth bad tackle, two young people were squaring up to each other. A crowd from Nelson Drive, the Fountain and other areas ran onto the pitch and laid into the young fellow and then ran off. There was grown men among them.

"They came running on with baseball bats and hammers and the other crowd ran towards the gates at Knockwellan but they couldn't get out.

"There were people on the nationalist side with bricks and stones at the outset as well."

He added: "One young fellow got very, very badly injured.

"He ripped the two hands to the bone climbing over the fence trying to get away and I believe he is in hospital in Belfast."

The community worker said the match was the latest in a series of games between youths from the Irish Street and Top of the Hill areas.

Councillor Lynn Fleming who lives in the area said elements on both sides had used the match as "an excuse to come together and beat one another up".

She added: "There were people there with makeshift weapons so they were intending to do damage. It is not normal behaviour."

The PSNI is investigating. A spokesman said: "Community representatives are trying to calm the situation at present."