Burt, Naomh Mhuire and a man called John Joe 24.10.08
Two points in the fight for survival for relegation-threatened Burt men

Burt...0-12 (E. McDermott 0-4 (3 frees, 1 45); C. Dowds 0-2; P. McDermott 0-2; N. Campbell 0-1; D. Grant 0-1; B. Friel 0-1; M. Donaghey 0-1) Naomh Mhuire...1-2 (K. Sharkey 1-0; C. McGinley 0-2 (1 free) by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent, at Hibernian Park JOHN Joe Doherty and Naomh Mhuire rolled into Burt on Saturday evening for one of those odd end of season encounters that the fixtures list sometimes throws up at this time of year. Already assured of a place in the promotion play-off, Naomh Mhuire were playing out their last game of the regular season. Burt on the other hand have three games remaining after Saturday’s comfortable win and desperately needed the win in the fight to avoid relegation. After a stuttering first half display, they drove on for victory with nine second half points. The win moves Burt up to fifth from bottom of Division 2, but they’re unlikely to have it all their own way in their three remaining games – away to Bundoran, Na Rossa and Moville. Moville may already be relegated, but they’ll be keen to build on their recent run of good form and finish the season with a flourish. Bundoran and Na Rossa are also in the relegation scrap – nothing easy there then. Burt will travel to Moville on Saturday evening where a win would all but assure Division 2 football again next season. So much for the permutations.

After a couple of days when he learned a hard lesson in Donegal GAA politics, John Joe Doherty was the centre of attention at Hibernian Park. Earlier in the week he had watched helplessly as the position of Donegal manager slipped through his fingers. He was offered the job but said he couldn’t accept the conditions that came with the post. The job was then offered to Declan Bonner and Charlie Mulgrew and their appointment will come before clubs for ratification at tomorrow night’s County Board meeting in Ballybofey. The strain of the events, and the knowledge that rumours about what caused the job offer to be made and then withdrawn were sweeping the county, weighed heavy on John Joe’s shoulders. The full story will come out shortly, he said, but at the end of a long season he was well and truly scunnered with football and his mind, and that of his team, seemed elsewhere. The first half of the match itself was low-scoring, scrappy, error ridden and instantly forgettable. Enda McDermott opened the scoring in the seventh minute when he won and converted a free. Mid way through the half Sean Gallagher handpassed across the square for Kevin Sharkey to bundle the ball past Dermot Brown and into the Burt net. Points from Ciaran Dowds and Niall Campbell brought Burt back to level terms before half-time, but they lost Eamon Reddin – who had been having a terrific game at full back – to injury just before the break. Burt manager Hugh Hegarty reshuffled his deck at the break, with Dara Grant coming in at corner forward, Enda McDermott moving from midfield to defence,

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