McFadden's last gasp goal at St Eunan's keeps Termon's unbeaten run intact

A Ryan McFadden goal with virtually the last kick earned Termon a dramatic draw against St Eunan’s in the All-County Football League Division 1 in Letterkenny.

The side from the Burn Road looked to be beaten when St Eunan’s moved three in front with a late fisted Eoin McGeehin point and then, having run down the clock, Oran Winston planted an excellent two-pointer.

That put St Eunan’s 0-15 to 1-9 in front, against 14 men. Termon lost Enda McComick to two quick yellow cards in the 50th minute when the substitute, who was just on for seven minutes, was played in. With the sides level, McCormick went for power and for goal but the shot flew high.

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St Eunan’s appealed for a wide and Termon a score, but the umpires opted for the wide and McCormick was booked twice in 30 seconds for dissent by referee Cathal Boland and Termon were a man down. It looked like their number was up as they were three down in the 62nd minute.

In a last throw of the dice, Oisin Harkin planted one into a crowded square, with St Eunan’s clearing only as far as Daire McDaid, who lobbed it in again.

With men everywhere, the ball broke loose and low to McFadden, who steered home to the delight of the maroon and white supporters. It was a game they could've won and maybe should've lost, while St Eunan's might think the opposite. 

Termon started impressively, moving into a five-point lead with just six minutes played. The first score of the game was a goal, finished by Pat Fegan following a fisted centre from McDaid on four minutes.

Fegan planted past Michéal Martin in the St Eunan’s goal, the 2012 Donegal SFC winning captain and full-back, who was drafted back in with Fintan Doherty on holidays.

Martin’s last championship outing for the seniors came in the 2019 quarter-final against Milford, the same season that he managed St Eunan’s to the Senior B crown.

Just two minutes after the goal, McDaid himself managed to pump over a two-pointer to make it 1-2 to 0-0.

Seven minutes in, Barry Meehan’s side got going when Conor O’Donnell Jnr got the first of his three first-half scores, with Eoin Dowling pointing and a Padraig McGettigan free also going over at the Town End. So by the 22nd minute it was level, 0-5 to 1-2.,

With St Eunan’s midfielder Dowling hobbling off with what looked like a hamstring injury, Termon edged ahead again with McDaid again on the mark. Back-to-back scores in the 25th minute, through Winton and Dylan Doogan, put St Eunan’s in front for the first time, 0-7 to 1-3, before Fegan levelled it up at the interval.

Caolan McDaid’s side had not lost in their opening nine games, with a fine return of six wins and three draws on their comeback to the top flight, as well as reaching the final of the Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta.

St Eunan’s had lost twice in their eight outings - at Glenfin and Downings - although they knew a win over their neighbours would enable them to leapfrog their neighbours with a game less played.

Termon started the second half much better and were rewarded with a brilliant score from Kevin McGettigan before Daire McDaid’s free put it out to 1-6 to 0-7. McFadden, on 40, finished off a phase of play with the visitors having the possession for long spells since the break.

Although O’Donnell pulled one back for the locals, a numerical infringement gave McDaid a handy free for Termon to move 1-8 to 0-8 in front.

Again, O’Donnell was the one keeping St Eunan’s in touch, with a fifth point, and when McGeehin and McGettigan followed suit, it was level again at 0-11 to 1-8.

But after McCormick’s sending off, it looked like the odds were stacking for St Eunan’s but John James Sweeney managed to put Termon in front again. But the lead was short-lived as St Eunan’s turned that deficit into a three-point lead, with O'Donnell again the one who started the swing before McGeehin and Winston took over.

However, that wouldn’t be enough as McFadden had the last word.

St Eunan’s scorers: Conor O’Donnell Jnr 0-6, 2f; Padraig McGettigan 0-2, 1f; Eoin McGeehin 0-2; Oran Winston 0-2, 1tp; Eoin Dowling, Oran Winston and Dylan Doogan 0-1
Termon scorers: Patrick Fegan and Ryan McFadden 1-1; Daire McDaid 0-5, 1tp, 3f; Kevin McGettigan and John James Sweeney 0-1

St Eunan’s: Michéal Martin; Peter Devine, Eamonn Doherty, Noah Barrett; Odhran Winston, Kieran Tobin, Anthony Gallagher; James Kelly, Eoin Dowling; Sam Harvey, Aaron Deeney, Dylan Doogan; Eoin McGeehin, Padraig McGettigan, Conor O’Donnell Jnr. subs: Kevin Kealy for Dowling (17). Pauric Boyle and Caolan Ward for Barrett and Harvey (36), Philip Doherty for Doogan (43), Like Nelis for McGettigan (54).
Termon: Emmet Maguire; Cormac Brady, Cormac Gallagher, Conor Cassidy; Patrick Fegan, Kevin McGettigan, Ricky Gallagher; Oisin Harkin, Aaron Reid; Evan Coleman, John James Sweeney, James McSharry; Daire McDaid, Jack Alcorn, Ryan McFadden. Subs: Enda McCormick for Reid (43), Oisin Cassidy for Coleman (48).
Referee: Cathal Boland (Ardara)