Termon leave it all on the line to edge out St Eunan's in U-21A semi-final

The clash of Termon and St Eunan’s was expected to come down to inches and it did just that with Ryan McFadden making a dramatic fetch on his own goalline in the sixth minute of injury time to give the Burn Road side victory.

Termon 1-5 St Eunan’s 0-6

With St Eunan’s pressing with only seconds left, Daragh Ellison found a pocket of space in a crowded goalmouth and his effort was heroically blocked by Evan Coleman before McFadden claimed a difficult ball up high to prevent a certain goal in what was the last play of the day.

McFadden was so close to the line there were hopeful appeals from the Letterkenny side claiming he might’ve crossed it and match referee Mark Dorrian blew for time. Termon had won through a battle in atrocious conditions to seal a place in the final of the U-21A Championship.

When the sides met in the group stage of the competition, Termon came out on top on a 2-10 to 1-11 scoreline, having come from seven points down. When the sides were paired together again in the semi-final, both started crisply but with the wind and rain playing a part, it became more attritional the longer it went on.

Jamie Grant opened the scoring for Steve McElwaine’s Termon and then on nine minutes they fashioned a goal that came courtesy of a Bobby McGettigan slap following a deep ball in from Cian McMenamin for a 1-1 to 0-0 lead.

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St Eunan’s, managed by Peter Devine and Sean McVeigh, soon steadied and were back on terms by the 20th minute at 0-4 to 1-1, with Shane O’Donnell scoring two frees and David Boyle one, with Padraig McGettigan then piercing a shot just over when there was a chance of a goal.

At the break, Termon might’ve been disappointed with half a dozen wides, with St Eunan’s not having kicked one and the wind jumping one way and then the other.

Termon’s Ryan McFadden says ‘pure desire’ got them over the line in U-21A semi

Termon came out on top against St Eunan's in the U-21A Championship semi-final with midfielder Ryan McFadden producing two dramatic goalline catches in injury time to ensure his side's progression

The impressive McMenamin popped up from wing-back to edge Termon in front on 33 minutes and that lead of 1-3 to 0-4 remained until the 51st, with both teams finding difficulty in gaining any sort of real fluency. McMenamin then stoked over another fine score and at the other end Shane O’Donnell’s long-range free got St Eunan’s bellowing.

Substitute Stephen Black would score two late points on the break, either side of a Dylan Doogan point for St Eunan’s, which meant Termon were two points up. From a diagonal ball into their square from St Eunan’s Noel O'Donnell with three minutes of injury time on the clock, McFadden made the first of two vital catches on the line. The first - in his chest - was badly needed and the second from Ellison proved to be the winning of the match.

Termon scorers: Bobby McGettigan 1-0; Cian McMenamin and Stephen Black 0-2 each; Jamie Grant 0-1.
St Eunan’s scorers: Shane O’Donnell 0-3, 3f; David Boyle 0-1, 1f; Padraig McGettigan and Dylan Doogan 0-1 each.

Termon: Thomas Cannon; Conor Cassidy, Cormac Gallagher, Caolan Gallagher; Cian McMenamin, Jamie Grant, Evan Coleman; Jack Alcorn, Ryan McFadden; Steve McDaid, Bobby McGettigan, Aaron Reid; Kevin McGettigan, Gary McGettigan, Mark Gallagher. Subs: Oisin Harkin and Stephen Black for M Gallagher and McDaid (46), Conor Black for Reid (57), Jack O’Neill for G McGettigan (60+3)
St Eunan's: Ronan Coady; Noah Barrett, Pauric Hughes, Gavin McCarron; Cian McMonagle, Kieran Tobin, Dylan Doogan; Eoin Dowling, Noel O'Donnell; Oran Winston, Shane O'Donnell, Ciaran Moore; Daragh Ellison, David Boyle, Padraig McGettigan. Subs: Donal Higgins for McMonagle (26), Eoghan Doherty for McCarron (52)
Referee: Mark Dorrian (Gaeil Fhánada)