IT IS a day and a defeat that will sting hard over the winter months by the Burn as Termon were edged by Donaghmoyne in the Ulster senior final.
Donaghmoyne 1-11 Termon 1-9
By Chris McNulty in Killyclogher
Termon will reflect on one that got away as Donaghmoyne kicked three late scores to turn the tide in their favour.
Sean O’Donnell’s Termon were gutsy and determined and their game plan almost worked to perfection. However, in a game of inches, Donaghmoyne held sway – by the skins of their teeth.
Termon finished with 14 players after Shannon McLaughlin was sin-binned with seven minutes to go. Having had the shackles on Cora Courtney, McLaughlin was yellow carded by referee Brendan Rice at a time when Geraldine McLaughlin’s ninth point of the day had the maroon and white in front, 1-9 to 1-8.
That Courtney’s influence in the closing stages gave her the Player of the Match nod will have been a further bitter pill for Termon to digest.
Louise Kerley, from a free, levelled things up. Donaghmoyne smelled blood now and they broke for two late scores from Lauran Garland and Kerley, again from a free.
Termon – for whom Lucy O’Flynn scored a goal eight minutes into the second half – just couldn’t get the ball in to Geraldine McLaughlin in those closing moments. They did break dangerously, buy Eimear Alcorn’s ball for the All-Star nominee was cut out.
The what-ifs will be plentiful when they look back, but Termon ought to look back with pride and forward with real confidence after this. So close means the taste is raw, but there will be energy to come from having the prize snatched from their grasp.
Courtney flicked home a goal late in the first half to give Donaghmoyne the slight edge at the break.
Eight minuets into part two, Termon plunged a goal as O’Flynn smashed home after Geraldine McLaughlin’s initial shot was blocked.
Moments earlier, Biddy Gallagher – who had a fine game in spite of limited possession – fired wide of the far post after a strong run through.
O’Flynn’s major brought Termon within a point and a brace by Geraldine McLaughlin had them in front.
By then Termon, were daring to dream, but they were dashed as Donaghmoyne hit those late sucker punches.
Donaghmoyne, the champions, began brightly and they hit an early four-point flurry, but Termon settled into things with McLaughlin hitting five points in a row to put her side in front.
McLaughlin had a couple of sniffs of goal, with Linda Martin, the veteran Donaghmoyne goalkeeper, saving one and the Donegal forward electing to go for a point with the other.
Termon had a big hour from young Chelsea Gorman, whose super performance belied her tender years, while Nicole McLaughlin’s surging runs gave them room to breathe at crucial times.
Termon, though, gifted away possession at key intervals – and paid a heavy price.
Disaster struck for Termon in the last minute of the first half.
Hazel Kingham floated a ball in around the danger zone and Courtney got there ahead of Maureen O’Donnell to flick to the net. There were less than 50 seconds on the clock when Courtney rose to get the deftest of touches.
The goal gave the Monaghan side a 1-6 to 0-6 half-time lead.
A beautiful score, off the left instep of Cathriona McConnell, put four between them just two minutes into the second half. Termon survived when Jamie-Leigh Murray climbed high to win a searching ball into the mix and when O’Flynn pounced for a Termon goal, the big crowd buckled in for a barnstorming finish.
Donaghmoyne: Linda Martin; Joanne Geoghegan, Fiona Courtney, Hazel Kingham; Joanne Courtney, Sharon Courtney, Eimear Traynor (0-1); Amanda Casey-Finnegan, Cora Courtney (1-0); Lauran Garland (0-2), Rosemary Courtney, Louise Kerley (0-5, 2f); Aine McElroy, Cathriona McConnell (0-3, 2f), Niamh Callan. Sub: Roisin Finnegan for McElroy (46).
Termon: Maureen O’Donnell; Chelsea Gorman, Meabh McDaid, Niamh Friel; Olive McCafferty, Evelyn McGinley, Shannon McLaughlin; Emer Gallagher, Nicole McLaughlin; Lucy O’Flynn (1-0), JamIe-Leigh Murray, Eimear Alcorn; Mya Alcorn, Geraldine McLaughlin (0-9, 5f), Bridget Gallagher. Sub: Jodie McFadden for Murray (44).
Referee: Brendan Rice (Down)
