Termon take scalp of league champions Naomh Conaill at Davy Brennan Memorial Park

Termon travelled to Davy Brennan Memorial Park at the weekend and took two impressive All-County League Division 1 points away from Naomh Conaill. 

The Glenties side was short some high-profile regulars, but the victors’ physical power in central slots, and the scoring ability of ace marksmen Ryan McFadden and Daire McDaid, were key factors in this win before a fairly good attendance.

McFadden hit a goal and two two-pointers while McDaid nailed a two-pointer and three more points, two from frees and one from play.

For Naomh Conaill, Keelan McGill and Leo McLoone found the net and Dermot Molloy hit two-two pointers but they lacked penetration up front in the absence of so many regulars.

Charles McGuinness, Molloy, John O’Malley and McLoone were surrounded by some talented younger players who just could not quite match the Burn Road outfit.

Termon started with a big breeze at their backs and McFadden took advantage of the wind to hoist over a soaring two-pointer after five minutes.

He repeated the dose three minutes later and his scoring partner McDaid hit a fine free to put Termon into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead.

Molloy pointed a close in free for the home side to get them off the mark after Termon were penalised, apparently for dissent, in the 11th minute.

McDaid put further daylight between the sides when he used the breeze to land a two-pointer free for Termon and that put them into a 0-7 to 0-1 lead by the 18th minute.

But just when it looked like the game was going away from the home side, a lightning move ended with Daniel Gildea playing a perfect punched pass over the top of the Termon defence and Keelan McGill was in the right place to hammer the ball to the net a minute later.

Naomh Conaill keeper Jordan O’Donnell then pulled off a super save from a Termon forward and the visitors’ JJ Sweeney pounced on the loose ball and pointed to put his team into a 0-8 to 1-1 lead.

Veteran McLoone got another score for Naomh Conaill as half time beckoned and Termon led by 0-8 to 1-2

Naomh Conaill broke through the Termon defence on the restart and Neil Francis Boyle found himself free but he hit wide from point blank range.

Molloy then weighed in with his first two-pointer to leave just a point between the sides. It looked good for Naomh Conaill as they now had the benefit of a considerable breeze. But their keeper O’Donnell had to make another diving save from McDaid in the 35th minute.

Termon were gaining a lot of ball around the middle of the field and the in-form McFadden found himself in space inside the Naomh Conaill and he slammed the ball to the net.

This was a really big score for Termon as it put them back into a four-point lead as both sides began to run their benches.

Termon seemed to own the ball in this period without making any real progress before Oisin Harkin broke a pretty placid seven minutes with a point for the visitors.

Another point from sub Evan Coleman pushed Termon out to a 1-10 to 1-4 lead and another McFadden point made it 1-11 to 1-4 midway through the half.

Termon seemed in total control until a Naomh Conaill breakaway ended with Leo McLoone ramming the ball to the Termon net.

Molloy hit another two-pointer from a free to leave a goal between the sides as Termon led by 2-6 to 1-12.

But Stephen McDaid popped up with another Termon point to clinch matters for the victors.

Termon scorers: Ryan McFadden 1-5,2tp; Daire McDaid 0-4,1tp; Eavan Coleman 0-1; Oisin Harkin 0-1; Stephen McDaid 0-1; J J Sweeney 0-1.

Naomh Conaill scorers: Dermot Molloy 0-5,2tp, 1f; Leo McLoone 1-1; Keelan McGill 1-0.

Naomh Conaill: Jordan O’Donnell; Jason Campbell, Logan Quinn, Conor Roarty; Shay McDevitt, Keelan McGill, Jack McGlynn; Charles McGuinness, Neil Francis Boyle; Daniel Gildea, Leo McLoone, John O’Malley; Tiarnan Ward, Dermot Molloy, Danny Brown. 

Subs: Kieran Gallagher for Jack McGlynn (39), Brendan McDyer for Danny Brown (49).

Termon: Emmett Maguire; Conor Cassidy, Cormac Gallagher, Cormac Brady; Ricky Gallagher, Kevin McGettigan, Patrick Fegan; Oisin Harkin, Aaron Reid; J J Sweeney, Ryan McFadden, Cian McMenamin; Daire McDaid, Gary McGettigan, Jack Alcorn. 

Subs: Stephen McDaid for Cian McMenamin (ht), Evan Coleman for Aaron Reid (40), Anthony Grant for Gary McGettigan (50), James McSharry for Patrick Fegan (55).

Referee: Enda McFeely (St Mary’s, Convoy).