Rasharkin United is the name of the soccer club in this mainly Catholic Co Antrim village.

But while a small group seems intent on wrecking any unity between its Protestant and Catholic communities, they are uniting everyone against them instead.

“They are just hoods and thugs. They were never interested in politics before they started using republicanism as a flag of convenience.”

Sinn Fein Assembly member Daithi McKay sums up those who broke a window pane in the front door of his home in Wallace Park in the village and who have been behind attacks on Protestant families and property.

But the attack on the home of the 27-year-old, who is also on the Policing Board, was not in retaliation for the deliberate targeting of Protestants.

Instead, self-styled dissident republicans aged around 21 from outside are being held responsible. Villagers refer to them by their first names.

As well as targeting a Sinn Fein representative, they also appear to be targeting the businesses of people linked to Sinn Fein.

The windows of The Village Caff on Main Street were broken on Sunday night. The cafe, pristine apart from the shattered glass still intact in the window panes, was still in business on Monday.

Ballymoney’s DUP mayor John Finlay uses the same strong language as Mr McKay.

He said: “I have no doubt the same group is orchestrating all the trouble. They are thugs and morons and they don’t represent anybody. So far this year there have been 21 attacks on Protestant people.”

Rasharkin has traditionally made the news in July every year when opposition is voiced to Orange Order parades in the village.

But the man or woman on the street will tell you that inter-community relationships are fine.

However, an elderly woman is reticent about identifying herself as a Protestant. She vowed not to move from her home of 50 years despite her worries at the attacks.

“Who could ask for a better view than that?” she said, indicating a panoramic vista of the Sperrins.

Most of Mr McKay’s neighbours are shocked his house was attacked. Joe Crawford, a neighbour at Wallace Park, said: “Just lately there is a lot of lads just behaving badly around the village and there are a couple who have been wrecking around the village this years.

“They are intent on vandalism and have been intimidating a few Protestant families. A fella in the front of the street had to move out in the autumn. He was getting a lot of hassle from young ones.”

He has lived in or near Rasharkin all his 67 years.

“Most of the people here are decent and dead-on, Protestant and Catholic. I’ve never had a wrong word with my Protestant neighbours.”

Mr McKay believes the attackers hope to provoke the village into confrontation.

He said: “They say they are dissident republicans. The speculation here is that they are touts, because they seem to get away with everything. They always seem to start confrontations with villagers, but they (the villagers) haven’t bitten yet.

“All of a sudden they are very political — so they weren’t political before, so that’s why they’re suspicious.

“Rasharkin just wants to see the back of them. Everybody gets on here, no bother. People hate to see the name of the village dragged through the papers.”

Police say that policing alone will not solve the problem.

A spokesman said: “We are aware that a number of people have been engaging in activity that has resulted in property being damaged in Rasharkin.

“Some of the incidents are perceived to be sectarian in nature and as such are very distressing and damaging to community relations in the village.

“This type of behaviour is totally unacceptable and while we are actively investigating these matters, policing alone will not solve the underlying reasons for the continuation of such despicable acts.”

In Rasharkin there is a GAA team (St Mary’s GAC), Rasharkin United, one community centre and two primary schools.

Peter Baird, chairman of Rasharkin United, is with Mr Finlay and Mr McKay in his verdict.

He said: “It’s all young bad eggs. I know exactly where it’s coming from and I know them by name. Fortunately, I’ve never had any trouble from them and neither has the team.”

He would like to see both sides of the community in all sports, and feels that this would reflect the easy-going mixing between both communities in Rasharkin.

He added: “We want both sides of the community. I’ve made a strong point of trying to sign players from Coleraine, Ballymoney, Ballymena who are Catholic. It would be daft if Manchester United suddently decided it would only use English players — why would I just use Protestant players?”

The team’s recent performances and future prospects could speak for the village as a whole.

“We’ve had a bad season, but we’re rebuilding,” Mr Baird said.