‘We were hanging on a bit,’ - Francie Friel happy Termon got the job done

Francie Friel insists he never anticipated, as many predicted, a cakewalk for Termon in Sunday’s IFC quarter-final with Red Hughs.

Termon diced with danger and had only a point to spare when they emerged from a game of inches, winning 1-8 to 0-10.

They looked well on their way when holding a 1-5 to 0-2 lead at half-time, but Red Hughs bit back and were denied a stoppage time free that could have given them a chance to force extra time.

“We were hanging on a bit,” Friel told Donegal Live.

“I didn’t expect anything else. Everyone was putting us down as the firm favourites, but we were under no illusions. We knew it would be a tight game. I said I’d take a one-point win and we got that so we’re delighted.

Here's the draw for the Intermediate Championship semi-finals

The draw for the semi-finals was conducted at O'Donnell Park on Sunday evening.

“Every day there is a challenge coming at you. We got a challenge there. Red Hughs had some spirit and they went at us. We saw it out thanks to the first-half display.”

Daire McDaid netted the Termon goal from a penalty midway through the first half and it proved a priceless kick.

Friel said: “We started losing a bit of shape and they came back into the game as we expected. We’re happy to get the win, no matter how we got it.

“Any one of the eight teams in the quarter-finals would have seen a chance to get to a semi-final.”

In their first year back at the intermediate grade following last year’s relegation, Termon now face Dungloe, the beaten IFC finalists in 2021.

Friel said: “There are four teams left and it was going to be a tough draw no matter who it was.

“After getting beaten in the final last year, Dungloe are a bit of a wounded animal. They’ll want to put a wrong right and they’ll have motivation.

“We were relegated last year and we want to get to the final.

“We told the boys at the start of the year that we had to be ready for football on nine out of eleven weeks. We have a strong squad to do that. We’re happy with where we are.”