The Down'ards have taken the honours in this year's game after the Shrovetide committee decided to DISALLOW the late goal scored by the Up'ards at the end of play on (Ash )Wednesday.
The committee decided there was more evidence suggesting the ball had been goalled by Up'ard Dave Spencer AFTER the 22.00 deadline than before.
The 36-year-old player said he was very disappointed but respected the final decision.
The final result of the Ashbourne Shrovetide Game was left undecided at the end of Wednesday following a controversial climax to the day's play.
The Up'ards claim they scored the ball only minutes before 22.00 - the Down'ards allege the Up'ards didn't score until after the close of play cut off point.
Wednesday
The Down'ards had the best of the play for much of the day - but were thwarted when the Up'ards broke with the ball a couple of fields away from Clifton, at around 21.45, and ran it up to Sturston.
Down'ards claimed that, because there was some play in the town on the way, the Up'ards would not have had time to get the ball to Sturston before 22.00.
But late on Wednesday night, the Up'ards marched back to the Green Man carrying Dave Spencer shoulder high claiming he goaled the ball within the time period - a move which angered many of the Down'ards.
The fact that the ball reached the goal is not disputed - but whether it was scored in time is contested by the Down'ards and the sticking point seems to be that there was no Shrovetide official at Sturston to either verify or discount the goal.
The secretary of the committe, Mick Betteridge, listened to some of the players' claims on Wednesday night - but at around 23.15 it was announced that the committee would meet at 10.00 on Thursday morning to decide whether the goal was good.
Earlier John Harrison was repaid for more than 20 years of making the Shrovetide ball by being invited to turn up the ball to start the day's play.
The Down'ards took the honours in Tuesday's game with Kevin Clarke producing a moment of brilliance to break away and goal the ball at Clifton shortly before 1830
| 
