ÉAMONN Burns could yet continue as Down manager for a second season, The Irish News understands.
Down’s inglorious season came to a fittingly disappointing end on Saturday as a paltry crowd at Páirc Esler saw them dumped out of the Championship by Longford.
The visitors won by 2-24 to 3-16 after extra-time to bring the curtain down on a year in which Down won just one game, and none against inter-county opposition.
Their solitary win came at the expense of St. Mary’s University in a McKenna Cup group game back in January, and they lost each of their other 11 games between McKenna Cup, League and Championship.
The result was relegation from Division One of the National League and a Championship exit at the earliest possible stage.
A county board meeting will take place as scheduled on Thursday 7 July, at which the senior, under-21 and minor football jobs will be on the agenda, as they are for each county board meeting.
Although there was no set term on Burns’ tenure when he was appointed, and the role is reviewed on an annual basis, it was generally accepted that it would be for a minimum of two years.
Bryansford man and double All-Ireland winning player Burns took over last November, more than two months after Jim McCorry had resigned the post amid acrimony.
Down county board will certainly want to avoid a repeat of the ten-week saga that unfolded after McCorry’s departure last August.
