DAIRE MCDAID WAS out of luck with an awkward free-kick six minutes into stoppage time – hitting the upright – as Termon lost by a point to Gaoth Dobhair.
Termon 0-7 Gaoth Dobhair 0-8
In a sometimes fiery contest – where referee Mark Dorrian brandished nine yellow cards and one black – McDaid looked to have judged his kick to perfection into the Burn Road breeze but it wasn’t to be.
In the end, the fact that Termon scored just once in the second half cost them, with Eamon McGee kicking what turned out to be the winner on 50 minutes.
It was the hosts who forced the issue in the first half, with McDaid and McGee trading the first two scores – both very well taken following good runs – for their respective sides.
Three more points from McDaid – two frees and a 45 – meant Termon were 0-4 to 0-1 up on 18 minutes but two efforts from Odhrán MacNiallais brought Gaoth Dobhair back to just a point down.
Aidan Sweeney also got in on the scoring act for Termon, who went in 0-6 to 0-5 in front at half-time, with McDaid having scored five times in that opening period and MacNiallais accounting for four of the visitors’ total.
With that trend continuing in the second half – McDaid and MacNiallais again trading scores, Naoise Ó Baoill levelled it up at 0-7 apiece on 37 minutes.
Scores were becoming increasingly hard to come by although, from an unlikely source, Gaoth Dobhair – missing their county under-21 contingent – almost went ahead only for full-back Jamie Reynolds to shoot wide when going for goal.
Eamon McGee’s second score was as good as his first and it turned out to be the winner.
Termon: Conor Tinney; Nathan McElwaine, Kevin McDaid, Daniel Connaghan; Steve McElwaine, Kevin McElwaine, Ricky Gallagher; Caolan Mellett, Johnny McCafferty; Aidan Sweeney (0-1), Anthony McGrenra; Caolan McDaid, Kevin McMenamin, Daire McDaid (0-6, 3f, 1 ’45’). Fintan O’Flynn for K McElwaine (32, black card), Paul Mallon for Sweeney (47), Joe English for Mallon (57).
Gaoth Dobhair: Christopher Sweeney; Gary McFadden, Jamie Reynolds, Chris McFadden; Paul Mulligan, Kevin Cassidy, Jonathan Harkin; Michael McKelvey, Eamon McGee (0-2); Daire Ó Baoill, Odhrán MacNiallais (0-5, 3f), Naoise Ó Baoill (0-1); Gavin McBride, Michael Roarty, Anthony Blair. Subs: Eamon Collum for Roarty (half-time), Prionsais Gallagher for Harkin (49), Noel Kelly for McBride (51), Karin for N Ó Baoill (60)
Referee: Mark Dorrian (Gaeil Fhánada).
