TERMON LIFTED THE All-County Football League Division Two title courtesy of a win over 14-man St Naul’s in Convoy tonight.
Termon 2-11 St Naul’s 2-5
The Burn Road outfit started well and finished reasonably against the Mountcharles based club, who lost centre-back John Rose to a serious looking elbow injury that meant he had to be whisked off to the Accident & Emergency Department at Letterkenny General Hospital.
Having arrived with just 15 players, it meant they’d have to play on a man light – but they fought on commendably.
The match was switched to St Mary’s Park to avail of the floodlights but it was St Naul’s who were in the dark for most of the first half.
Stephen Griffin kicked the visitors in front but then it was all Termon until the end of the half.
Aidan Sweeney tucked home a rebound for the first goal of the night on 12 minutes after Coalan McDaid’s initial shot was blocked.
Then, a minute later, Christy Connaghan scored a penalty to put his side 2-4 to 0-1 up.
When St Naul’s lost Rose eight minutes before the break, they’d have been forgiven for fearing the worst but deep in injury time that was added as a consequence of that injury, Daniel Brennan tapped home the first of his goals for the night.
It meant at half-time Termon were 2-7 to 1-3 in front – a good position as Paddy McDaid’s team knew a win tonight would avoid any possible complications with their last fixture of the campaign away to second-placed Bundoran.
Just 12 seconds into the second half, Brennan grabbed his second goal when Termon netminder Noel O’Donnell spilled a drop-short from Sean Griffin.
Griffin popped over another couple of frees and Termon, who were a man up, were snatchy when shooting. Daire McDaid’s free on 42 minutes was their first score in 19 minutes.
McDaid continued to be Termon’s most prosperous forward, kicking all four of their second half points.
Termon: Noel O’Donnell; Fintan O’Flynn, Kevin McDaid, Kevin McElwaine; Nathan McElwaine, Joe English, Steven McElwaine; Johnny McCafferty, Ricky Gallagher (0-1); Aidan Sweeney (1-0), Christy Connaghan (1-1, 1-0 pen), Caolan McDaid (0-1); Enda McCormick (0-3), Daire McDaid (0-5, 3f), Paddy McDaid. Subs: Caolan Mellett for Connaghan (36), Daireann Gibson for K McElwaine (40).
St Naul’s: Patrick Byrne; Dan Meehan, Enda Lynch, Ronan Lowther; Martin Breslin, John Rose, Caolan Gaffney; Brendan McGee, Stephen Griffin (0-5, 5f); Eddie Gallagher, Andrew Gallagher, Sean Griffin; Brian McCabe, Shane Conneely, Daniel Brennan (2-0).
Referee: Â Paddy McGonagle (Buncrana).
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