Termon edged an absorbing and enthralling Division 2 opener in Ballybofey as Enda McCormick’s late free proved the difference.
Sean MacCumhaills 1-11 Termon 2-9
MacCumhaills came back from the dead and rose from seven points behind to draw level.
MacCumhaills levelled things up four times in the second half, but were never in front and yet they left cursing that they left a share of the spoils behind them.
Picture caption: Sean Mac Cumhaills’ Martin O’Reilly moves away from Termon’s Shane Callaghan. Picture by Chris Doherty
The only reminder that we weren’t yet on the summer pages of the calendar came in the form of a springtime chill in Ballybofey and Termon left thankful for some first-half spadework on a day when they were forced to dig deep having been well in front thanks to first-half goals by Daire McDaid and Ricky Gallagher.
These two both reached Championship quarter-finals last year and were beaten by the two sides who would march behind the band in the county final; MacCumhaills losing to the brilliance of Michael Murphy and Glenswilly and Termon forgettably falling to Kilcar.
That evening in September had been Termon’s last visit to county headquarters and they were forced to earn their corn here as Mac Cumhaills – now under the management of former Donegal minor boss Stephen Friel – roared back.
Facing a seven-point deficit and with a plethora of first-choice names absent, it looked a perilous position for the Twin Towns men after Gallagher’s effort dropped in behind goalkeeper Eoin Gallen.
Led by Martin O’Reilly – the in-form Donegal player scored six points – MacCumhaills hit back.
By the break, they were within four points. O’Reilly stung Michael Boyle’s palms after breaking through and had to settle for a point, while O’Reilly and Mulligan converted frees before half-time.
O’Reilly tapped over another free and then landed a sumptuous point, off the outside of his right boot and delivered from the shadows of the stand.
It was very much game on.
McCormick’s free settled Termon, but it was only momentary respite as Mulligan seized perfectly on an opportunity as he tucked home from 15 metres to level the game.
Michael Lynch, Gary Wilson and O’Reilly – with a wonderful effort he created himself – all hit points for the hosts, but Termon just had enough about them with Daire McDaid (2), Caolan McDaid and McCormick all on the mark.
Termon dropped from Division 1 in 2016 but Hugh Harkin has plenty of young talent to work with as he sets about a rebuilding job at the Burn Road.
Chief among those Harkin will look to take a lead role is Daire McDaid.
It was he who got Termon off and running with a brace of points in the first ten minutes, one from a free and the other a tidy effort from play, and McDaid also bagged the opening goal of the game in the 20th minute.
At that stage, Termon were 0-4 to 0-2 ahead with Enda McCormick managing to slam over after taking receipt of Kevin McDaid’s pass in a congested area just shy of the ’45.
O’Reilly and Stephen Mulligan kept MacCumhaills in touch, but the understrength hosts were stunned with the concession of two goals before the break.
McDaid showed his prowess with a clinical finish, low and true into the bottom corner of Eoin Gallen’s net.
Moments earlier, Caolan McDaid was wide after doing what appeared to be the hard work in manoevering a give-and-go with McCormick.
Three minutes before the break, Gallagher profited from a little luck. A skyscraper was fired into the MacCumhaills goalmouth and, much to his surprise and to the bemusement and frustration of the homesters, it dropped in behind Gallen for a second Termon goal.
The goose might well have appeared cooked for Mac Cumhaills.
Soccer commitments with Cappry Rovers and Ballybofey United meant that Friel was unable to call on Rory Dunleavy, Darren O’Leary, Ronan McMenamin, Chris Patton, Aaron Kelly, Gavin Doherty, Brian Lafferty, Darren McGowan or Shaun McGowan.
And yet, they made a real fist of this.
They were in with a fighter’s chance right to the end.
Gallen denied Termon a game-clinching third goal as he saved from Aiden Sweeney, who’d been sent on his way by McCormick with just five minutes remaining.
It set up a grandstand finale and Termon held on for an away win.
Sean MacCumhaills: Eoin Gallen; Seamus McGinty, Joe Dunnion, Eoghan Wright; Marty Gallagher, Gary Wilson (0-1), Adam Lynch; Steven O’Reilly, John Lynch; Paddy Hannigan, Martin O’Reilly (0-6, 4f), Ryan Duffy; Stephen Mulligan (1-3, 2f), Brian Patton, Gary Dunnion. Subs: Conor Griffin for McGinty (half-time), Padhraic Patton for Duffy (half-time), Michael Lynch (0-1) for B.Patton (40).
Termon: Michael Boyle; Shane Callaghan, Kevin McDaid, Fionntán O’Flynn; James McSharry, Ricky Gallagher (1-1), Kevin McElwaine; Jimmy Gallagher, Aiden Sweeney; Caolan Mellett, Daire McDaid (1-4, 3f), Enda McCormick (0-3, 2f); Caolan McDaid (0-1), Nathan McElwaine, Paul McDaid. Subs: Shane Doherty for Mellett (38), Johnny McCafferty for P.McDaid (46), Steve McElwaine for K.McElwaine (48), Barry Gallagher for McSharry (55).
Referee: Seamus McGonagle (Aodh Ruadh)
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