A goal in the 45th minute by first-half sub Conor Black proved the defining factor in this excellent Under 16 League Final.
Termon 1-10 Four Masters 0-8
By Charlie Collins at O’Donnell Park
Black’s super solo effort gave Termon a five point lead at a vital stage and they managed to hold off a determined Four Masters team which never gave up.
Termon raced to a 0-04 to 0-01 lead in the opening 13 minutes after Jack Alcorn had scored in the first minute and, although Shay Travers levelled for Masters with a free, Aaron Reid, Kevin McGettigan and Manus O’Connell all kicked fine points from play to put Termon three in front.
Dermot Slevin’s free added a second point for Four Masters but O’Connell and a excellent Mark Gallagher score had Termon 0-06 to 0-02 ahead in the 16th minute.
Four Masters had a good spell as Shay Travers free and a fine effort from Alex Mc Calmont left just two in it after 20 minutes.
Both teams were guilty of some poor finishing after this good opening period and the only score of the final ten minutes of the half came from Jamie Grant with a towering effort from 35 yards to leave it 0-07 to 0-04 at half-time.
We had to wait until the 13th minute the of the second-half for another score as both teams were wasteful in their finishing.
Finally Four Masters scored, Alex Mc Calmont tapping over after a short free by Travers found him. That left just two points in it but that was short-lived as a minute later Termon first-half sub Conor Black raced through and held off several tacklers before slamming the ball to the net and suddenly Termon were five points ahead.
That became six when Jack Alcorn converted an excellent free from near the touchline to make it 1-08 to 0-05.
Dermot Slevin kicked two good frees inside two minutes to leave four points in it with six minutes left but back again came Termon with points by Bobbie McGettigan and Aaron Reid to restore the six point lead.
To their credit Four Masters refused to accept defeat and kept pressing for the goal they needed but Termon’s defence held firm and when sub Mark Jordan got an angled shot on target.
Termon keeper Emmet McQuire made an excellent one-handed save to push the ball over the bar to leave the final score 1-10 to 0-08 in Termon’s favour.
Four Masters: Oisín McCallig; Joe Leape, Senan Quinn, Christopher Gallagher; Darragh Geary, Jamie Gorrell, Andrew Monahan; Richard O’Rourke, Alex McCalmont (0-2); Evan Gallagher, Shay Travers (0-2f), Carl McCary; Ultan O’Grady, Frank Cornym , Dermot Slevin (0-3f). Subs: Mark Jordan (0-1) for Monaghan (48), Diarmuid O Domhnall for O’Grady (48), O Grady for Gallagher (58).
Termon: Emmet McQuire; Michael Trearty, Mark Toye, Kevin McGettigan (0-1); Jamie Grant ( 0-1), Marty Steele, Manus O’Connell (0-2); Bryan McGettigan, Jack Alcorn (0-2, 1f); Aaron Reid (0-2), Patrick McDaid, Conor Cassidy; Mark Gallagher (0-1) , Bobby Mc Gettigan (0-1), Aaron Gallagher. Subs: Conor Black (1-0) for O’Connell (23), Lorcan Callaghan for A.Gallagher (44), Stephen Black for McGettigan (47), Luke Downey for M.Gallagher (56).
Referee: Eugene McHale.
