Termon U-21s ease through the gears with comfortable home win over Buncrana

Termon opened their U-21 group stage campaign with a comfortable 12-point win over Buncrana at the Burn Road. 

Playing with the elements inside the opening half, the hosts exited 0-8 to 0-3 to the good. 

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But with the elements also seeming to swing somewhat on the changeover, Hugh Harkin’s outfit eased through the second stanza in fluid enough fashion. 

With the aid of that considerable breeze at the outset, Termon shot out to a five-point lead inside the opening quarter. 

Eva Keown got that all going on seven minutes after a prolonged passage of Buncrana possession amounted to nothing. 

Turning over the subsequent kickout, Oran Gallagher quickly doubled that advantage. 

With Buncrana again finding it difficult to get their shot away into the stiff gale, Termon countered on the turnover with Ciaran Cassidy getting in on the scoring act. 

Either side of the 15-minute mark, a Shea Boyle quickfire brace made it a five-point game with the Inishowen outfit still looking to get off the mark. 

On 19 minutes, Buncrana were on the board thanks to a Dylan Mulholland free from the hands that the centre half-forward did well to steer into the mouth of the breeze and over the crossbar. 

Caolan Curran replied, though, as Termon again held a five-point advantage at 0-6 to 0-1. 

A Liam Jordan clip, which looked like it went wide of the target from the vantage point of the press area, was signalled good as Buncrana now chased a four-point gap. 

Cassidy responded down the other side but an improving Buncrana moved to three two minutes out from the break, thanks to a second Mulholland effort. 

To close out the scoring in the opening period, Oisin Harkin registered from a close-range free to make sure the hosts took that previous five-point upper hand with them into the dressing room. 

Straight from throw-in, Termon went down the barrel and with Cormac Gallagher getting on the end of that sweeping attack, the centre half-back lamped in a brilliant goal. 

John Sweeney followed that up instantly with a point and the difference was now out to nine just four minutes into the new period. 

The one-way traffic continued with Curran nudging the hosts onto 1-10 as Buncrana remained locked back on 0-3. 

Donal O’Brien finally got the visitors moving once more on 42 minutes but Patrick Fagan made sure that slim headway was short-lived down the other side. 

Sean McLaughlin boomed over a fine two-point free for Buncrana entering the last quarter to leave it 1-11 to 0-6. 

A driving run from the direct Cormac Gallagher was then crudely halted close to goal, allowing Harkin to clip another free. 

As Termon eased towards the finish line, Shea Boyle added two more points while Harkin fisted his side onto 1-15 right at the death. 

Termon scorers: Shea Boyle 0-4; Cormac Gallagher 1-0; Oisin Harkin 0-3,2f; Caolan Curran and Ciaran Cassidy 0-2 each; John Sweeney, Oran Gallagher, Evan Keown and Patrick Fagan 0-1 each. 

Buncrana scorers: Dylan Mulholland 0-2,1f: Sean McLaughlin 0-2, 1tpf; Liam Jordan and Donal O’Brien 0-1 each. 

Termon: Thomas Cannon; Cormac Cassidy, Emmett McGettigan, Eoin Gallagher; Jack O’ Neill, Cormac Gallagher, Patrick Fegan; Oisin Harkin, John Sweeney; Owen Browne, Ciaran Cassidy, Oran Gallagher; Evan Keown, Caolan Curran, Shea Boyle. 

Subs: Michael Boyle for O’Neill and Nathan Grant for O Gallagher (both 45); Ciaran McCormick for Keown and Ciaran Conaghan for Browne (both 53); Eoghan Quinn for C Curran (56).  

Buncrana: Ruairi Scott; Brendan Sharkey, Padraig McGonigle, Jamie Friel; Donal O’Brien, Andrew Davison, Sean Daly; Sean McLaughlin, Liam Jordan; Billy Duffy, Dylan Mulholland, Kevin O’Rourke; Stephen McNulty, David Shaw, Mike Lynch. 

Referee: Daniel Carlin (Naomh Padraig, Lifford).