Thoughts turn to championship as Burt footballers clinch Division 3 league title

Burt football manager Marty Coyle was soaked to the skin after his side’s 1-13 to 1-11 injury time win over Red Hugh’s in the Division 3 final, his players having doused him with water as the craic got under way in Convoy on Saturday evening.

The win brought a successful conclusion to a league campaign that saw them go unbeaten from start to finish. But it wasn’t without its drama.

Burt appeared to be cruising when they surged into a seven-point lead ten minutes into the second half, but they were pegged back as Red Hugh’s mounted a spirited comeback to draw level with five minutes remaining.

“We thought we were out the gap to be honest,” said Coyle afterwards. “We just needed to mind possession and not give away cheap balls. We’d discussed that before the game.

“We let them back into it, but thankfully the boys dug deep and showed good resilience.

“Our fitness stood to us as it came down to the end too.”

Burt manager Marty Coyle

Two late frees - both awarded following technical infringements by Red Hugh’s - proved decisive, allowing Burt to edge over the line and secure the Division 3 title, three years after last winning it.

The game was tightly contested and tactically tense, particularly in the first half when Red Hugh’s sat deep and frustrated Burt’s attempts to find space in attack.

“Look, there’s nothing between the two teams,” the manager said.

“It was very tactical tonight, and they were set up very defensively in the first half. We were trying to force it through crowded areas instead of trying to be patient and open up pathways to break through,” he said. “But that’s the way the modern game is sometimes, it can be very tactical, and when they forced turnovers on us they attacked with a lot of pace.”

Read more: Burt have two points to spare over Red Hugh's in Division 3 final

Promotion to Division 2 for 2026 had already been secured, but Coyle and his players were determined to end their stay in the third tier with silverware.

“After we secured the promotion, we wanted to finish out the league campaign with a bit of silverware. That was a real good game, a really big test, and it will set us up well for the championship,” Coyle added.

County Board officer Andy Doherty presents Burt captain Sean McHugh with the Division 3 trophy

The Intermediate championship group stages throw-in in three weeks' time, and Coyle knows the challenge his side face will be stiffer than almost anything they faced in Division 3.

“Now, we need to hit the reset button and return to the training field and get ready for the championship,” he said.

“We’ll prepare over the next few weeks as best we can and get the players into good shape.

“We’ve a few men tonight coming back from injury [second half subs Calvin Gallagher and Darren Bradley] and we’re trying to get them and a few others right.

“We’ll be taking it one game at a time. We’re hoping to be in good shape when the championship comes around.”

After two years in Division 3, Burt will be glad to make their escape.

But that’s all parked now as the championship, where they’ve been involved in the relegation play-offs for each of the past six years, awaits just over the horizon.