Ardara land Donegal minor B title with a dramatic finish over Termon

Despite bringing it back to an exciting final quarter and nearly bringing the game to extra-time, Termon could not replicate their first-half performance, as Ardara captured the Donegal minor B title on a wet day in O’Donnell Park. 

Two goals in the final 10 minutes for Termon looked like they were nearly going to snatch this victory, but Ardara held on, with Shane and Gavin Sweeney leading the way for an Ardara victory. 

Termon opened the scoring from the throw-in when the men from the Burn Road charged through the heart of the Ardara defence to win a 13-metre free leaving it for John-James Sweeney to fire over. 

Ardara had opportunities to level the affair but both chances dropped short despite two impressive attacks. 

The men in maroon and white nearly slotted home the opening goal of the game when Oran Gallagher fired in a hard-hitting pass, which full-back Ben McNeilis failed to control, resulting it to fall into the hands of Termon’s Ciaran Cassidy to shoot for goal, but the ball just edged wide. 

Ardara had a similar chance moments later when Shane Sweeney fired in a shot on top of the Termon box which goalkeeper Ryan Gibbons-Devine failed to control, resulting in Niall Boyle stealing the ball and shooting for goal, only for the shot to land to the left and wide. 

Eoghan McNelis would land Ardara’s first score of the game on the seventh minute from a tight angle as the men in green and gold began to find their feet on the match.  

And that was seen on the 11th minute when Gavin Sweeney landed a long ball in on top of the square, which once again, Gibbons-Devine failed to control, with the ball falling to Ardara half-back Darragh Hennigan who shot low into the corner of the net to make it 1-1 to 0-2. 

Ardara’s long-ball game into the full-forward was working wonders, and from it, they nearly hit home their second goal on the 22nd minute when a long pass into Gavin Sweeney allowed the full-forward to play the ball to the running Josh Malley, but the midfielder was caught for overcarrying as the ball fell into the net. 

Termon’s Sweeney landed his side’s first score in 15 minutes from a free to bring it back to a one-point game, before levelling the match minutes later. 

Caolan Curran would edge Termon back in front with a point with a minute of normal time in the half remaining, and while Ardara had attacks to level the match, they couldn’t put the scores on the board, as Termon marched to the dressing at half-time leading on a 0-5 to 1-1 scoreline. 

Despite not finding their range late in the first half, Ardara easily levelled the match early in the second half when Eoghan McNelis nailed over his second of the afternoon from the 45-metre line. 

They would go one better when Gavin Sweeney kicked over from a tight angle, but Termon brought it back with a fine point from half-forward Shea Boyle who kicked over off his left from 13 metres. 

As the match progressed, Ardara found their rhythm, with the help of their second goal giving them a two-point cushion. Shane Sweeney darted past his marker, soloing it off his right before firing it in on top of the Termon box of his left, leaving it for Gavin Sweeney to leap into the air and punch into the net. 

The pressure from Shane and Gavin Sweeney proved to be the difference, with the former hitting his first score of the afternoon on the 40th minute to leave it 2-4 to 0-6, before nailing his second five minutes later to increase his side’s lead. 

With 10 minutes remaining, it was all Ardara, with Eoghan McNelis nailing his third of the afternoon. But Termon wasn’t down or out, and nearly hit a goal on the 51st minute when Oran Gallagher found space and fired low toward goal, but Cian McConnell was on hand to palm it away to safety. 

It took until the final five minutes of the match for Termon to nail over his side’s second score of the half, from a free, but Ardara’s Gavin Sweeney followed suit with a score of his own, with the men from the Burn Road at this stage desperate for a goal to salvage something. 

A quick attack found Termon in space to fire for another goal, with Ronan Cunningham hoping to save the day, but once again McConnell was on hand to pull off a super point-blank save. 

But the resulting 45 eventually ended with Termon finding the net, with a long ball in the box resulted in John-James Sweeney punching home without any Ardara player putting a hand on him, leaving the scoreline a 2-7 to 1-7 as the match approached injury time. 

With six minutes of time added on, it was enough for Termon to crawl back into this game, and that’s exactly what they did, when Curran found an opportunity to cooly strike for goal to level the match at 2-7 to 2-7.  

But Shane and Gavin Sweeney followed suit with two classy points to give his side a two-point cushion with a minute left.  

Termon had one final attack, but couldn’t break through the Ardara defence, resulting in John-James Sweeney settling for a point, but Niall Boyle pushed it back to a two-point game as he split the Termon defence to nail over finishing the match on a 2-10 to 2-8 scoreline for Ardara. 

Ardara scorers: Gavin Sweeney 1-3, 1f; Shane Sweeney and Eoghan McNelis 0-3 each; Darragh Hennigan 1-0; Niall Boyle 0-1.
Termon scorers: John-James Sweeney 1-5, 5fs; Caolan Curran 1-1; Shea Boyle and Oran Gallagher 0-1.

Ardara: Cian McConnell; Oisin Breslin, Ben McNeilis, Adam McGill; Anthony Bennett, Darragh Hennigan, Jack Elliott; Maithiu Clerkin, Josh Malley; Niall Boyle, Eoghan McNelis, Aaron McHugh; Shane Sweeney, Gavin Sweeney, Odhran Walsh. Subs: Callum Cassidy for Walsh (47)

Termon: Ryan Gibbons-Devine; Jake Burrowes, Michael Boyle, Eoin Gallagher; Fionn McGrenra, Cormac Cassidy, Nathan Grant; Rian Nibbs, John-James Sweeney; Shea Boyle, Caolan Curran, Ciaran Conaghan; Sean McFadden, Ciaran Cassidy, Oran Gallagher. Subs: John Cannon for McFadden (ht); Ronan Cunningham for Nibbs (45)  

Referee: Stephen Doherty (Red Hughs)