"About 180 of Martin Smyth's votes were down to `neoism' as I like to call it - people from the Neolithic age," said Mr Willy Lambrock as he left the King's Hall after the Ulster Unionist Council meeting.
"Whenever you take the 120 Orangemen away and the Young Unionists who don't represent anyone but themselves, the bedrock of the party is rock solid behind the modernisation process that David Trimble has taken on," said Mr Lambrock, a UUC delegate from Co Derry. Was the result too close for comfort for Trimble supporters? "No, not at all. One vote more is a majority," he said.
Mr Robert McPherson, from Coleraine, said he had expected a close vote "but not that close".
He added: "I feel it leaves the party more divided than ever, that's the sad thing. David Trimble will try to carry on but he is facing an uphill struggle given the way the vote went. People are just stunned by what has happened today [Saturday]. Where we go from here is anybody's guess really."
Mr Sam Walker, from Co Antrim, said it was time delegates told Mr Trimble that "enough was enough".
"Today's vote shows that the leadership can no longer dismiss the No camp as a handful of cranky dissidents. I was very worried about the way that David Trimble was taking the party on after his remarks in Washington and, like many other people, I wanted to make that clear. If we don't draw a line in the sand and stick to `no guns, no government' where is it all going to end? I think many Ulster Unionists feel they just can't give any more."
A young woman delegate from Mr Trimble's Upper Bann constituency said she would not be backing the UUP leader's reselection.
"I am delighted with the result and the amount of support that Martin Smyth got. I think we have really taught David Trimble a lesson that he won't forget in a hurry. I know they are now trying to put a spin on it and say that Mr Smyth's vote is down to the Orange Order block vote alone but that simply doesn't wash.
"For Trimble supporters to claim that his position is rock solid takes some leap of the imagination. And if he thinks that that was the last leadership challenge he was facing, he could be in for a surprise, I think."
The fact that the Young Unionists grouping had thrown their weight behind the 68-year-old Mr Smyth was of "grave concern", said Mr John Pierce, from Eglington, Co Derry.
"Personally, I am very disappointed that there is a Young Unionist group in there who seem to be totally opposed to David Trimble. I really fear that that doesn't augur well for the future of the party. They seem extremely militant. With people like that, all it takes is for Sinn Fein to make massive gains at the expense of the SDLP at the next elections and we are right back where we started."
Mr Alan Hassard, from Enniskillen, said he was delighted that the result would "clip" Mr Trimble's wings.
"I am happy enough with the result. He was always going to win, wasn't he, but I would say he sold his last pup to the party."
It was all a new experience for Mr Gareth Stewart, from east Belfast. "To be honest, I was not totally sure how it was going to go. I have only got into Ulster Unionism in the past year or so and it was hard to judge how the council was going to vote.
"But now it has spoken and no matter what our feelings, we need to abide by its decision and get behind the leader that they have selected and to push forward to get a chance for peace in Northern Ireland. Only time will tell whether David Trimble has been seriously weakened by this."
A prominent dissident, Ms Jean Coulter, was in a good mood. "I didn't expect it to be so close. Drumcree won David Trimble the leadership in 1995. Today's victory is a very hollow victory for him because we in the No camp would have only needed a few more votes."
She was "absolutely delighted" that a motion linking a re-establishment of the power-sharing executive to maintaining the RUC's name and emblems had been passed by delegates.
"Thank God for this day and that we have won the motion on the RUC too. Those 302 policemen did not die in vain after all."
However, Mr Billy Armstrong, an assembly member from mid-Ulster, said he felt "nothing but disappointment" at the policing motion.
"Whenever I was in the police I never looked on it as a political force. I looked at it as a necessity for the community. It's not been a great day for unionism - just another day. I suppose it's natural whenever you have people in such a very broad church that you get divergent views. We will rise and fight another day and there is no reason why we shouldn't."
Mr Michael Carson and his mother, Helen, from east Belfast, could not agree on whether it had been a good or a bad day for unionism.
"Well, it wasn't a bad day, Mr Trimble is still our leader. I am glad he is still there and I believe he can carry on," said Ms Carson.
Her son said he was particularly concerned about the policing motion. "The result is of concern as we don't want the RUC politicised. We are all proud of the name of the RUC but policing should be about crime, being safe in our homes and walking the streets. For that we need a balanced police force. It mustn't become a political football. I feel it has been a bad day for David Trimble, a bad day for Dublin and for London."
Mr Jack McCruskey, from north Down, and Ms Gail Walker, from south Belfast, felt the day had gone their way.
"It has been a very good day. We are pleased at the RUC motion being passed and at the Martin Smyth result. We absolutely believe that policing and the executive should be linked. It is an absolutely wonderful day, both for the RUC and for unionism."
An elderly woman delegate from Belfast thought democracy had won the day. "Unfortunately, I didn't have my hearing aid so I missed an awful lot of the debate. But if the people who know a lot more than me say it wasn't a good idea to link politics and policing then I go by that. I am only an old age pensioner trying to keep up with things."