SF eyes West Tyrone hat-trick

Sinn Féin were tonight celebrating a strategic victory with an expected hat-trick in West Tyrone.

Vote management saw Barry McElduff pip his running mate Pat Doherty to top the poll.

His predecessor with the most votes last time round – and the big surprise story of the 2003 Assembly elections – Dr Kieran Deeny was left with a fight to retain his seat.

The Sinn Féin MP for West Tyrone Pat Doherty was elected on the first count just over a couple of hundred votes shy of McElduff.

Once the poll-topper’s extra votes are distributed the pair are expected to be joined by party colleague and first-time candidate Claire McGill.

“West Tyrone gains of three seats instead of two is a significant strategic advance,” said Mr McElduff.

“Because it’ll leave us better placed maybe to be looking about at an additional ministry around the executive table.”

The Omagh-based MLA from Carrickmore credited good vote management and a strong performance on the doorsteps.

“Our whole strategy has been about getting three over the line and it’s nice to be invested in by the electorate,” he said. “Things have paid off.”

The DUP appeared to have been taking a leaf from their Republican counterpart’s manual on vote management skills with its two candidates almost sharing the spoils.

Thomas Buchanan and Allan Bresland are confident they look a strong package to take an extra seat for the party in the constituency this time round.

Ulster Unionist Derek Hussey’s turnout was slightly down on last time and the Castlederg publican, polling below both DUP candidates, wasn’t confident about his fate.

Dr Deeny didn’t do as bad as some of his detractors were predicting in whispered tones around the Omagh Leisure Centre earlier in the day.

But speculation was rife that he may provide West Tyrone with its biggest medical drama since the last episode of ER in a possible fight for the last seat with the SDLP’s Dr Josephine Deehan.

As Barry McElduff said: “The only thing that’s certain now in West Tyrone is the uncertainty about the last couple of seats.”