A PULSATING THIRD-QUARTER against Four Masters from Termon saw them book their place in the last eight of the Michael Murphy Sports & Leisure Donegal SFC.
Termon 2-13 Four Masters 2-11
At half-time Francie Friel’s team were 1-8 to 0-7 behind and although still in with a chance of progression, knew they would certainly have preferred the Russian Roulette of keeping an eye on the scoreboard for the Naomh Conaill and Gaoth Dobhair.
Photo caption: Termon goalkeeper Michael Boyle makes a decisive punch for his team against Four Masters in the Michael Murphy Sports & Leisure Donegal SFC this evening at the Burn Road. Photo: Geraldine Diver
[adrotate group=”82″]However, Termon were rampant after the break, scoring 2-5 to 0-1Â by 46th minute. Caolan McDaid and his brother Daire were the goalscorers for the home team, while Michael Boyle also made an excellent save from Kevin McBrearty after Michael Doherty had flicked the ball his way to unlock the Termon defence.
Four Masters, who had a fine first half, did rally a bit but their remote prospects of progression were gone, as they needed a landslide victory of eight points to even get involved in the shake-up.
Patrick Reid punched home their second goal on 54 minutes and although they had a chance or two to get closer than the two points they ultimately lost by, Termon were deserving winners.
It was the visitors who held the aces in the first half, with Conor McDaid, who would score 1-6 in all, particularly impressive. His goal came on 10 minutes from a long ball in from Doherty, which Kevin McDaid, the Termon full-back, got stuck under. McDaid finished well.
[adrotate group=”53″]Two minutes later, Four Masters might’ve goaled again when Aaron McCrea got onto a Doherty pass. The goal might’ve been on, but McCrea was content enough to pop over Boyle’s crossbar.
The Donegal town side – minus the absent Karl Lacey and Sean O’Kennedy, as well as the injured Conor McMonagle – saw Kevin McBrearty shoot wide when he too might have scored a goal.
Doherty pointed before Conor McDaid – with another goal chance – scored a point to make Masters’ lead a 1-8 to 0-5. Termon had only played in fits and starts, with Enda McCormick and the McDaid brothers Daire and Caolan getting the occasional score from limited supply.
However, McCormick and Steve McElwaine did score at the end of the half and the home side’s deficit was 1-8 to 0-7 at half-time.
Termon came out like a new team and scored four of the first five points points to get back to just one behind within seven minutes of the restart, with two from Daire McDaid, one from Caolan McDaid and Ricky Gallagher to make it 1-9 to 0-11.
It was before the last of that quartet that Boyle made the fine save to prevent a McBrearty goal for Four Masters.
That save was certainly a pivotal moment as on 39 minutes, Steve McElwaine intercepted a loose ball and set away Caolan McDaid, who worked it before shooting past Ryan Haughey in the visitors’ goal.
Termon, 1-11 to 1-9 up now, really had the wind in their sails. McCormick, who was having a fine outing at wing-forward pointed and then, on 43 minutes, Daire McDaid smashed a second Termon goal. That made it 2-12 to 1-9 for the hosts.
Conor McDaid pulled one back at the other end but then missed a routine free from right in front of goal. Four Masters did muster something when Reid got on the end of a Shaun Meehan centre to pull a goal back four minutes from the end.
However, McCormick scored his fifth point of the evening soon after and although Conor McDaid did pull it back to two late on, it will be Termon’s name in the hat tomorrow afternoon.
Termon: Michael Boyle: Fionntan O’Flynn, Kevin McDaid, Shane Callaghan; Kevin McElwaine, Nathan McElwaine, James McSharry; Brendan Friel, Aiden Sweeney; Ricky Gallagher (0-1), Steve McElwaine (0-1), Enda McCormick (0-5, 2f); Caolan McDaid (1-1), Paddy McDaid (0-1), Daire McDaid (1-4, 3f). Subs: Austin Marron for O’Flynn (half-time), Christy Connaghan for P McDaid (34), Daniel Connaghan for K McElwaine (47), O’Flynn for McSharry (60).
Four Masters: Ryan Haughey; Danny McGarrigle, Dylan Kennedy, Daire Quinn; Aaron McCrea (0-1), Kevin Breslin, Josh Lacey; Luke Keaney, Barry Monaghan; Emmet Doogan, Kevin McBrearty (0-1), Patrick Reid (1-0); Shaun Meehan, Michael Doherty (0-3, 1 ’45’), Conor McDaid (1-6, 4f). Subs: Darren Doherty and Caolan Loughney for Doherty and Breslin (44), Ryan O’Donnell for Reid (56).
Referee: Shaun McLaughlin (Malin).
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