Kane tilts the scales for Paisley

`The Shinners thought they had the last seat, but we had a heavyweight fighting for us," announced the Rev Ian Paisley as he emerged from the last count in North Antrim early on Saturday with a third DUP seat secured.

He was right about the heavyweight. Mr Gardiner Kane, who will accompany the Paisleys jnr and snr in the Assembly, makes the DUP leader look slimline. But Sinn Fein's candidates knew several counts earlier that the transfers weren't there for them; and the candidates weren't visible either when the DUP celebrated their triumph with a verse of God Save the Queen.

Sinn Fein was only a subplot in North Antrim, but its vote management was a model in how to use the PR system. Mr Joe Cahill and Mr James McCarry polled almost identical first preferences, 2,021 and 2,024 respectively. And after Mr Cahill's elimination, Mr McCarry lasted long enough for speculation that a large transfer from Alliance could give him the seat.

It didn't. But while we waited, a young UUP activist studied the results board, contrasting the lopsided vote-spreads of both the main unionist parties with that of Sinn Fein, and concluded, "That's what we should be looking for".

The SDLP attracted grudging admiration, too, in Ballymoney for its performance in the other constituency counted there. Although the DUP again had the first laugh in East Londonderry - Mr Gregory Campbell topped the poll - Mr John Dallat and Mr Arthur Doherty shared 9,400 first preferences almost evenly to take two comfortable seats.

Ballymoney belonged to Dr Paisley, however. He reacted with contempt when it was suggested to him that he had been sidelined in the DUP's campaign, but he had the demeanour of a man cut loose. Buoyed by his own election and a tide that seemed to be lifting the No campaign to new heights, he delivered a vintage preacher's performance after his first-count election and threw himself into countless media interviews with gusto.

As the day wore on his 72 years and the uncertainties of the PR system seemed to weigh a little on him. But when the long day of counting ended at 1.10 a.m. he still had the energy for one last blast at his enemies. He also provided an example of why party handlers may be rationing his public appearances.