BALLYNURE OB: Boss Burns quits after Cup final hammering

Asked by the Times if his decision was a knee-jerk reaction to Friday night’s 5-1 defeat in the final of the O’Gorman Cup he stated: “Definitely not – it was merely the final nail in the coffin. Andy and I had been considering our futures for several weeks, and I have decided that I have taken this squad of players as far as I can, and it is time to hand over to someone else.

“When we turned round one down at Allen Park against Dunloy I challenged the players to make a big effort, but they failed to respond and immediately after the final whistle I informed the committee that I had had enough.

“I have greatly enjoyed my five years in charge and during that time we have won every trophy on offer, including the league title. Last season we were denied a clean sweep of the league and they three cups when the O’Gorman Cup was the one that got away.

“I will not be walking away from the Ballynure club, and I hope that I will be able to contribute something as a member of the committee. I take this opportunity to thank the committee members, the backroom staff, the players and especially Andy Forsythe for their support. I have enjoyed every minute of my five years at the helm, but the time is ripe for me to step aside and devote more time to my family.

“We leave behind an excellent squad of players, and I hope that my successor will get as much enjoyment in the post as I have,” he ended.

Two weeks ago the title, O’Gorman Cup and the McReynolds Cup were all on the radar, but the slipped out of the local team’s reach.