McCafferty: 'I wouldn’t mind, I was hitting corner flags all week at training'

With the frenetic atmosphere at O’Donnell Park quelled just a tad as Termon and Glenfin had just played out a draw 0-14 to 1-11 after extra-time in the Donegal LGFA Senior final, there was a wisp of curiosity as to the manner in which things would be settled.

For the first time, the competition would come down to a 25-metre free-kicks competition, with each team having five pops at the posts.

Roisin McCafferty was the first to go after an interlude that would’ve tested the nerves. There was she was, hands on hips, stood all alone with every eye at the Sallaghagrane venue on her standing back from two flags, between which was the invisible line from which she had to kick at goal.  

“The girls showed great character and you could see that, when we looked for volunteers 10 girls put their hands up,” she said afterwards, with a tone of joy and relief as her Termon side came out on the right side of it on a 5-3 scoreline, meaning, as per LGFA rules as per official guide, the final score was 0-19 to 1-14.

“There was a bit of time gap between the end of extra-time and the free-kicks which I was glad of, as I was cramping there near the end. We just said ‘if you miss then you miss’ and I wouldn’t mind, I was hitting corner flags all week at training! As one of the older ones I just thought it was better to step up first and it mightn’t have gone over on another day.

“It’s a cruel way to lose and not even the nicest way to win but for us it was great to get over the line and get the win. It turned into a hard-hitting contest and there’s no love lost when we play Glenfin. Some of them are my best friends and you’ll always shake their hands at the end of the game. 

“They’ll be hurting - it was us last year - and they were going for three-in-a-row and they’ll be back next year, no doubt about it. 

It was harsh on Glenfin to lose in such a manner, almost a role reversal of 12 months beforehand when Termon lost out in Lifford, eventually querying the timekeeping in a 1-23 to 2-18 extra-time reversal, also after-time.

“The games between the two teams are so close, like rewind 12 months ago and it was us who just fell short,” McCafferty added.

At one stage it looked as though Termon were going to fall short again as they trailed by three points at the end of the first period of extra-time. Nicole McLaughlin and McCafferty stood up and did the talking.

They would get back on terms, having forced the play and Geraldine McLaughlin’s three frees took her personal tally to 0-11 for the day, before adding one more in the free-kick competition.

Termon finally pip Glenfin in Donegal LGFA Senior final free-kick lottery

There was nothing between Termon and Glenfin in the Donegal LGFA Senior final at O'Donnell Park until the Burn Road side came through on free-kicks to win the Donna Dunnion Boyle Memorial Cup

“I don’t know if we stood up but we just work hard and that’s all we asked,” McCaffety added. “Whenever the chips were down and  we were three points down, we just had to go for it. Losing by three is the same as losing by 10. We remembered last year when we crumbled a bit in extra-time so we just wanted to go for it, to press and turn Glenfin over and we tried to force errors and Geraldine, who won on one leg there, was just phenomenal there. 

“At one stage in the second half, her knee was injured and Ciara McGarvey took one of the frees. Geraldine didn’t even know if she could continue but she did and that just shows the monster of a player she is. She never lets you down and kicks from left, right and centre. We're just delighted she plays for us, and for all of the younger players too who have played a huge part.”