Termon come of age to maroon champions St Eunan's in dramatic SFC fixture

Termon came through an epic Donegal SFC preliminary quarter-final to dump holders St Eunan’s out in the most dramatic of fashion.

We’ve all heard about the games of two halves, but this was a game with three distinct chapters and when the action was finally done, the Burn Road club had defeated their neighbours in championship football for the first time ever.

Termon were dominant in the first half and had one foot in the quarter-finals, only for St Eunan’s to completely turn it around in the second half.

But it was still level, so then it came down to extra-time, with all even again, and it was Termon who won out with Enda McCormick’s first touch providing the last word on the scoreboard at least.

It’s Termon’s biggest win in championship football since perhaps the 2008 Donegal SFC semi-final against Gaoth Dobhair but for this young side, they’ve no interest in what’s gone before. They’re excited about what’s coming ahead. A pitch invasion from their delighted following afterwards showed nobody is marooned just yet. 

Termon were seven up at half-time thanks to three first-half two-pointers and a Ricky Gallagher goal, but right from the start of part two, driven on by Conor and Shane O’Donnell and Eoin McGeehin, they chipped away and eventually got in front with six to play.

But Termon ground it a reply and got to extra-time, where they came through.

With the sides having met as recently as just six days beforehand, with St Eunan’s winning 3-12 to 1-15 at Burn Road, both had plenty of data compiled. Division 1 champions Termon would’ve felt that at least two of those goal concessions were avoidable, and like a week beforehand, had the benefit of the first half wind.

They had only mustered a one-point lead in the group stage at the break with the elements, and it was a much different affair the second time around.

By half-time, Caolan McDaid’s team were 1-9 to 0-5 up and value for every bit of it. They set the tone early, with a 0-5 to 0-1 lead that saw Ryan McFadden and John James Sweeney both hitting two-pointers.

McFadden’s could’ve been more, with a daring long-distance shot for goal in an attempt to lob Shaun Patton, who was out of his goal. It wasn’t far from hitting the net.

However, on 15 minutes, Patton was caught, this time by Gallagher. But unlike McFadden, it’s perhaps fairer to say the Termon captain was going for a point from a breakaway and the ball flew into the top corner from 30 metres out.

That put Termon into a lead of 1-5 to 0-3, with Eoin McGeehin St Eunan’s only real threat in the forward line. The Letterkenny side had enough of the ball, although Termon defended diligently and had more purpose in their play.

St Eunan’s weren’t overly impressive in their initial four games, although winning three from four had got them through. One of their best performers in recent weeks was Conor O’Donnell Jnr, who had amassed 1-20 in the SFC to date, but he was ruled out through injury and the hamstrung Niall O’Donnell didn’t start either, with Conor Parke returning to the defence.

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McGeehin scored three of St Eunan’s first-half five points, with Kieran Tobin and James Kelly also chipping in, while Daire McDaid’s 45 was Termon’s first score and McFadden and Gallagher added points late in the half. Termon’s sizable support was boosted by a third two-pointer of the first half, with Oisin Harkin showing his accuracy.

St Eunan’s dominated the second half, with Conor O’Donnell Snr’s two-pointer in the 31st minute setting the tone. Points soon followed from Shane O’Donnell, with two, and Kelly.

Nine minutes into the half and with their advantage skimmed down from seven to three, Termon broke and Jack Alcorn got in on goal with only Patton. Alcorn, bearing in from the right, went hard but Patton got a vital touch and the ball went just wide and a 45 was given.

That was one of a series of little things that were accumulating against Termon. Shots were getting a little snatchy and going wide, they were losing the breaks and there was a sense of frustration at  Marc Brown. The referee gave St Eunan’s a free when McGeehin seemed to slip and didn’t give Termon one seconds later when substitute Ciaran Cassidy was met by a hefty Conor Parke challenge.

Either way, it certainly wasn’t entirely the referee’s fault as St Eunan’s moved ahead 0-15 to 1-10, with Daire McDaid scoring Termon’s first point of the second half on 46 minutes and McGeehin and Shane O’Donnell combining for five more St Eunan’s points.

By then it looked over, with the O’Donnell Park team two in front with two to play and their luck looked out when Bobby McGettigan slapped an Alcorn centre onto the St Eunan’s crossbar with 90 seconds left.

However, Oisin Harkin’s free in the third of at least four minutes of injury time signalled made it a one-point game. St Eunan’s had the ball in Termon territory as that time was almost up, only to be gobbled after carelessly giving the ball away and Termon’s Aaron Reid punched over - there was more than a hint of goal chance - a 66th minute leveller, to make the full-time score Termon 0-15 St Eunan’s 1-12.

The break before extra-time meant that both teams could press the reset button and whoever wanted the momentum now needed to find it again from scratch.

Niall O’Donnell, like McGettigan, was a wildcard late replacement with neither player fit; both were back on the sidelines as extra-time started, although would play cameos.

Termon, with fire in their bellies again, hit the first two points from Sweney and Daire McDaid, only for St Eunan’s to get back on terms through Shane O’Donnell’s sixth point and a 45 from Patton. But it was Termon who were in the lead at half-time in extra-time, 1-15 to 0-17, with Patrick Fegan’s late point the divider.

St Eunan’s saw Shane O’Donnell and a now hobbling McGeehin miss chances to level again and Termon’s Cassidy saw a fisted effort at a point clunk Patton’s upright.

Enda McCormick came off the Termon bench and instantly scored a point to double the lead. With a minute to play Shane O’Donnell managed a score and Ciaran Moore had an effort go wide and was then brilliantly pop-tackled by Cormac Gallagher in the last play and Termon were through - it was a contest that they won and almost lost, and won again.

Termon: Emmet Maguire; Conor Brady, Cormac Gallagher, Oisin Cassidy; Patrick Fegan, Conor Cassidy, Ricky Gallagher; Oisin Harkin, Kevin McGettigan; John James Sweeney, Aaron Reid, Evan Coleman; Daire McDaid, Jack Alcorn, Ryan McFadden. Subs: Ciaran Cassidy for Coleman (half-time), Bobby McGettigan for R McFadden (56); R McFadden for McGettigan (extra-time), Barry McGeehin for Brady (74), Enda McCormick for Sweeney (77), McGettigan on for Reid (80)

St Eunan’s: Shaun Patton; Peter Devine, Conor Parke, Aaron Deeney; Kieran Tobin, Conor O’Donnell, James Kelly; Kevin Kealy, Ciaran Moore; Oran Winston, Shane O’Donnell, Caolan Ward; Pauric Boyle, Eoin McGeehin, Philip Doherty. Subs: Eoin Dowling and Luke McGuinness for Kealy and Boyle (half-time), Niall O’Donnell for Doherty (60+1); Boyle for Niall O’Donnell (extra-time), Doherty for Parke (66) Sean Ryan for Devine (67), N O’Donnell for McGeehin (74)

Termon scorers: Ricky Gallagher 1-2; Oisin Harkin 0-3, 1f tp; Ryan McFadden and John James Sweeney 0-3, tp; Daire McDaid 0-2, 1f, 45; Aaron Reid, Patrick Fegan and Enda McCormick 0-1.
St Eunan’s scorers: Eoin McGeehin 0-6, 2f; Shane O’Donnell 0-6, tp; James Kelly 0-2; Conor O’Donnell Snr 0-2, tp; Kieran Tobin 0-1; Shaun Patton 0-1, 45.
Referee: Marc Browne (Four Masters).