Enda McCormick points the way for Termon's victory

The sun just fell behind the Tír Conaill Park pavilion as Patrick Fegan slotted over the final point of the afternoon, he declared the argument over as Termon sealed a deserved victory.  

For 48 minutes of the match, Four Masters were the dominant side, it looked like it was theirs for the taking, but Enda McCormick had other ideas as he pointed the men from the Burn Road to a three-point win, as the Donegal Town side fell to their first league defeat of the season. 

The pre-game chat was about both sides building up enough momentum and getting a comfortable number of wins in this league campaign. But Division 2 has always been a rollercoaster in terms of seeking results and pointing out the inform teams. 

But this game, unlike previous ones this season, had excitement and end-to-end football. There was a bite to it. 

Termon took the lead in the opening two minutes when Ryan McFadden sailed over a long-range point from the opening score, but half-back Aaron McCrea would level the match after five minutes when he broke his way through the Termon backline to kick over under pressure off his left. 

The tactic of using Jamie Crawford as a shooter and a support play on the left-hand side proved wonders for the Masters in the opening 30 minutes, with Termon unable to stay with the 23-year-old who looked head and shoulders ahead of the rest on the field. 

In fact, Crawford would play a role in all of his side’s seven points in the first period of the game.  

The Four Masters man would fire over his team’s second point from long range before assisting Conor Meehan from a tight angle moments later. He would again cause problems on the left wing again and nail his second point which edged over from a difficult angle. 

Termon remained in the game and refused to let Four Masters get too far ahead despite their dominance. Steve McElwaine would kick over a close in free, before McCormick would fire over under pressure straight in front of the posts. 

The away side struggled on their kickouts, winning four out of nine in the opening half which set the home team up nicely with their attacking play. Crawford would blast over three more avalanche scores, two of which came from ‘Marks’ assisted by Oisin Reid in midfield, to give Four Masters a comfortable lead. 

But three more scores, one from McElwaine and two from McCormick brought it back to a one-point match as the Boys in Blue marched to the dressing room at the break a point in front at 0-7 to 0-6 points. 

Killian Faulkner would get the ball rolling in the second half to edge the gap further, but Termon began to tighten their defensive structure, causing Four Masters severe issues in terms of finding positions to shoot. 

After McElwaine missed a close in 13-metre free, McCormick would reply with a score of his own. But McElwaine would redeem himself on the 42 minute by levelling the match with his third point. 

Crawford nearly found the Termon net when he busted through the away side’s defensive wall, but his fisted ball across an empty Termon net was palmed away by Bobby McGettigan to keep Termon’s hopes alive. 

Richard O’Rourke fired over from a ‘45’, which was followed by a point from Faulkner who responded to a poor free from Crawford, kept the game level after a McCormick free and Mark Gallagher point. 

But by this stage Termon upped the ante and the cracks began to show in Masters’ walls. With the game level at 10 points each, the men from the Burn Road would land the final three points with eight minutes remaining, as Jamie Grant and McCormick slotted over from long range.  

And by the time Fegan nailed his point on the 58th minute after responding to a McCormick shot that came off the post for the half-back to kick over, the two points were firmly sealed in Termon’s name as they ran out three-point winners with Four Masters seeing out the game with 14 players following a Jason Duignan black card.  

Scorers – Termon: Enda McCormick 0-6, 2fs; Steve McElwaine 0-3, 3fs; Ryan McFadden, Mark Gallagher, Jamie Grant and Patrick Fegan 0-1 each. Four Masters: Jamie Crawford 0-5, 2M; Killian Faulkner 0-2; Conor Meehan, Richard O’Rourke ‘45’, and Aaron McCrea, 0-1 each. 

Four Masters: Ryan Haughey; Aidan McHugh, Dylan Kennedy, Brian Fegan; Seán McKiernan, Caolan Loughney, Aaron McCrea; Oisin Reid, Jason Duignan; Senan Quinn, Jamie Crawford, Joe Leape; Richard O’Rourke, Conor Meehan, Killian Faulkner. Subs: Patrick Reid for Meehan (42 mins), Darragh Geary for Loughney (52 mins), Caolan Sweeney for McHugh (60 mins). 

Termon: Emmett Maguire; Conor Cassidy, Ricky Gallagher, Jamie Grant; Patrick Fegan, Cormac Brady, Caolan Gallagher; Bobby McGettigan, Ryan McFadden; Evan Coleman, Jack Alcorn, Gary McGettigan; Steve McElwaine, Enda McCormick, Steve McDaid. Subs: James McSharry for Coleman (12 mins), Conor Black for McDaid (42 mins), Mark Gallagher for McElwaine (45 mins), Stephen Black for Gary McGettigan (53 mins).  

Referee: Seamus McGonagle