Division 1 league champions Termon were well beaten by a superb display from an unfancied Killybegs at a blustery evening in Fintra.
On a weekend when there was a big festival in the town, their footballers put on a vintage display of football to deservedly defeat the league champions in some style.
Of course, the return of county duo Hugh McFadden and Eoghan Bán Gallagher was a big plus as they also welcomed back Seamus Óg Byrne and Evan Broderick to the fold.
But it was their centre forward, Jack McSharry, who was man of the match, hitting 1-4 from play, including a great goal which pushed Pauric Bonner’s men to a 1-9 to 0-2 in a wind assisted first half.
They added three points into the breeze in the second half, but Termon never looked like getting the goal they needed to get back in the game and could only register six points.
Killybegs defended very well in this half as Termon threw on the injured Ryan McFadden and Enda McCormick in the second half, and the latter had hard luck for a goal-bound shot that came back off the upright in the 52nd minute.
The home side played with the big breeze and were quickly off the mark with two early points from Óg Byrne and Odhran McGuinness.
And McSharry struck for a crucial goal in the fifth minute when he powered his way in along the endline, took a heavy hit, before blasting the ball to the roof of the Termon net after a Hugh McFadden effort came off the upright.
The score was greeted with a roar from the small crowd, and it took shell-shocked Termon 15 minutes to get their opening point from wing back Patrick Fegan.
The towering Evan Broderick hit a soaring point in the 20th minute, and McSharry followed up with a thumping two-pointer to put the home side ahead by 1-5 to 0-1.
It got even better for the home side when McFadden followed up with a converted two-pointer free, and Rory Colyer made it 1-8 to 0-1 by the 26th minute.
Daire McDaid hit a point from play for an outgunned Termon before McGuinness hit his second point to leave the home side leading by 1-9 to 0-2 at the break.
It was a great cushion, but Termon almost had a goal on the resumption as the ball was scrambled off the Killybegs line after a major melee that ended with Jack Alcorn pointing for the visitors.
But the Termon onslaught never came as Killybegs cleverly kept the ball playing into the breeze.
Termon threw on Enda McCormick and Ryan McFadden, but this duo did not make any significant impact against a very well-drilled Killybegs defence.
John James Sweeney pointed for the visitors-but it took them ten minutes to get the score.
Killybegs were growing in confidence and McSharry hit a superb point into the breeze, which was really the point of no return for Termon midway through the half.
McFadden added another point to put the home side into a 1-11 to 0-4 lead.
Another of Termon’s towering subs, Steve McDaid, hit a point, as did Daire McDaid and McFadden.
But it was too little, too late as Rory Colyer closed out the scoring for a most impressive Killybegs, who produced their form of the year to topple the hot favourites.
Killybegs scorers: Jack McSharry 1-4,1tp; Hugh McFadden 0-3.1tp; Odhran McGuinness 0-2f; Ryan Cunningham 0-1,f; Seamus Óg Byrne 0-1; Evan Broderick 0-1.
Termon scorers: Daire McDaid 0-3,2f; Jack Alcorn 0-2; Patrick Fegan 0-1; Steve McDaid 0-1; Ryan McFadden 0-1.
Killybegs: Josh Colyer, Ben Conneely, Cillian Gildea, Owen Gallagher; Charlie Breslin, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Seamus Óg Byrne; Evan Broderick, Ryan Cunningham; Rory Colyer, Jack McSharry, Eddie McHugh; Christopher Mulligan, Hugh McFadden, Odhran McGuinness.
Subs: Mark Finnerty for Eddie McHugh (48), Joe McGroary for Seamus Óg Byrne (56).
Termon: Emmett Maguire; Conor Cassidy, Conor Gallagher, Oisin Cassidy; Patrick Fegan, Kevin McGettigan, Ricky Gallagher; Oisin Harkin, Aaron Reid; John James Sweeney, Bobby McGettigan, James McSharry; Daire McDaid, Jack Alcorn, Ciaran Cassidy.
Subs: Enda McCormick and Ryan McFadden for James McSharry and Conor Cassidy (43), Stephen McDaid and Conor Brady for Kevin McGettigan and Oisin Harkin (50).
Referee: Marc Brown (Four Masters).
