Cloughaneely’s brisk start burns Termon

The summer sun came out as Cloughaneely scorched Termon at The Burn Road.

Termon 0-10

Cloughaneely 2-11

First-half goals by Cillian Gallagher and Ciaran Scanlon saw Cloughaneely claim their first Division 1 win of the new season.

Gallagher scuttled in to rattled home in the sixth minute and Cloughaneely had 1-6 on the board by the time Jack Alcorn’s 20th minute free belatedly got Termon up and running.

Lee O’Brien landed a fine point from distance and Blake McGarvey kicked a pair of fine points as Cloughaneely opened up a nine-point lead.

A measure of their early intent arrived with only 55 seconds on the watch when Termon defender Shane Callaghan - making a long-awaited return from a cruciate lay-off - denied McGarvey with a fine block.

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The evening felt as if it was done when, in the 26th minute, Cloughaneely bagged a second goal. Scanlon slammed home when fed by Gallagher. Termon failed to deal with Ciaran McFadden’s ball into the mixer and Gallagher recycled for Scanlon to punish the hesitant hosts.

Cloughaneely were 2-7 to 0-2 in front at the break and it felt like a long way back for Termon.

With the breeze from Barnes Gap at their backs, Termon did come back in part two, but Cloughaneely always had the upper hand thanks to their first-half spadework.

John Fitzgerald might have had a third Cloughaneely goal, but he rattled the side netting in the 41st minute while Darragh Russell, the home goalkeeper, saved low from Ciaran Coll 12 minutes from the end.

Bobby McGettigan and Anthony Grant each posted a brace, but the gap was just too big for Termon to bridge.

Michael Fitzgerald ended a 17-minute scoreless spell for Cloughaneely in the final minute.

As the evening’s temperatures dipped, the on-field mercury lifted somewhat late on and Cloughaneely finished with 14 men after substitute Conor Coyle was sent off in the 58th minute.

All things considered, it was a trouble-free evening for referee Sean McDaid and the Urris man even managed to raise a cheer when stroking a loose football over the black spot from the ’45 during the half-time interval.

Termon scorers: Jack Alcorn 0-3f; Bobby McGettigan (1f), Anthony Grant 0-2; Kevin McGettigan, Steve McElwaine, Paul Mallons 0-1.

Cloughaneely scorers: Ciaran Scanlon 1-2; Cillian Gallagher 1-0; Blake McGarvey 0-3; John Fitzgerald 0-2, 1f; Ciaran McGeady, Lee O’Brien, Martin Maguire, Michael Fitzgerald 0-1.

Termon: Darragh Russell; Shane Callaghan, Kevin McDaid, Oisin Cassidy; Cormac Gallagher, Ricky Gallagher, Evan Coleman; Jack Alcorn, Kevin McGettigan; Patrick McDaid, Jamie Grant, Steve McDaid; Steve McElwaine, Bobby McGettigan, Anthony Grant. Subs: Oisin Harkin for Callaghan (half-time), Paul Mallons and James McSharry for P.McDaid and S.McDaid (48), Conor Cassidy for McElwaine (54).

Cloughaneely: Sean McClafferty; Noel Sweeney, Sean Curran, Fionn McGinley; Cian McFadden, Michael Fitzgerald, Ciaran McFadden; Lee O’Brien, Mark Harley; Martin Maguire, John Fitzgerald, Ciaran McGeady; Cillian Gallagher, Ciaran Scanlon, Blake McGarvey. Subs: Michael Mulhern for O’Brien (35), Conor Coyle for McGeady (42), Ciaran Coll for Maguire (46), Martin Maguire for Gallagher (49).

Referee: Sean McDaid (Urris).