TERMON SEALED THEIR fourth Ladies Senior Football Championship on the bounce courtesy of a comfortable win over Glenfin.
Termon 4-13 Glenfin 1-11
A goal after only 13 seconds from Shannon McGroddy set the tone for the afternoon in Convoy and provided the All-Ireland champions with a cushion they wouldn’t relinquish all day.
And with Geraldine McLaughlin, who scored 2-4, providing a cutting edge in the Termon attack and Maureen O’Donnell showing unerring accuracy all afternoon with eight points from placed balls, the abilities of Francie Friel’s team to take their goal chances was another telling factor.
Right from Declan Callaghan’s throw-in, Termon were on the offensive, with the ball played forward in a flash from a quickly-taken free from McLaughlin into McGroddy, who shot past Sharon McGlynn in the Glenfin goal.
The second goal came on 24 from a penalty from McLaughlin, after she herself had tried to burrow herself into a position to shoot at goal, only to be pushed over by a combination of players, the last of which was goalkeeper McGlynn. McLaughlin smashed the penalty home for a 2-4 to 0-4 lead.
At that stage Glenfin were struggling to get into the game, having scored just once from play through Karen Guthrie, while Yvonne McMonagle’s contribution by then was three pointed frees.
Termon were chipping away themselves but were comfortable in doing so and with O’Donnell scoring five first half frees, went in 2-8 to 0-5 up.
Glenfin managed to pop over four points on the spin before the three-quarter mark, with Guthrie posting two of those and Colene McGrath joining McMonagle on the scoresheet to leave the score 2-11 to 0-11.
With Emer Gallagher of Termon and McMonagle from Glenfin yellow-carded, the chances of Joanne McKenna’s team lessened.
Whatever lingering hopes there might’ve been were completely eradicated nine minutes from time when Roisin Friel tucked home a third Termon goal. Her finish was smooth, as was the move involving McLaughlin and O’Donnell.
Laura Gallagher, the Termon goalkeeper, made a good save from Laura McKenna late on and the Nicole McLaughlin was then penalised for a foul on Katy Herron. Guthrie smashed home the penalty.
However, that wasn’t the final word – it was McLaughlin’s. Another strong run from the 45-metre line saw her shrug off three challenges before slotting home the fourth goal.
Champions again. And now for the Ulster defence …
Termon: Laura Gallagher; Olive McCafferty, Emer Gallagher, Niamh Friel; Petra McCafferty, Nicole McLaughlin, Therese McCafferty; Shannon McGroddy (1-0), Roisin McCafferty; Dara Kelly, Maureen O’Donnell (0-8, 8f), Maria Carr; Roisin Friel (1-0), Geraldine McLaughlin (2-4, 1-0 pen), Lauren McElwaine. Subs: Lucy O’Flynn for Kelly (15), Hollie McDaid and Meabh McDaid for Carr and McGroddy (60).
Glenfin: Sharon McGlynn; Catherine McDevitt, Annie Logue, Colene McGrath (0-1); Mary Ward, Sinead McGinty, Kathy Ward; Katy Herron (0-1), Maggie Farrelly; Yvonne McMonagle (0-5, 4f), Karen Guthrie (1-4, 1-0 pen), Anna Marie McGlynn; Â Anna Bradley, Caoimhe McMenamin, Grainne Houston. Subs: Laura McKenna for McMenamin (56)
Referee: Declan Callaghan (Kilcar).
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