Naomh Columba chalk up another away win in Termon

Naomh Columba chalked up another big win on the road with a three point win over Termon, at a wet and windy Burn Road.

Termon . . . . . . . . . . . 0-11
Naomh Columba . . . 1-11

Paddy Byrne scored the goal in the first half that separated the sides at the finish. The big midfielder showed great awareness when Termon 'keeper Michael Boyle went walkabout in the closing minutes of the opening half.
And with Boyle away from his posts Byrne dropped the ball into the net from just inside the Termon '45' to nudge his team into a four point lead.
Minutes earlier Ryan Gillespie had edged the wind-assisted Naomh Columba ahead for the first time in a sparky contest that had its spicy moments.
Termon finished the game with 13 players following the sendings off of full-back Kevin McDaid, on a straight red card for attempting to trip Ryan Gillespie, eight minutes from the end of normal time.
And then on the stroke of full-time sharpshooter Daire McDaid was sent for an early shower. The full-forward received his marching orders for lashing out at Ryan McNern after winning a free.
Naomh Columba lost Kieran McBrearty to a black card late in the game.
The winners played with the strong wind in the first half but were slow to settle and spent much of the opening period on the back foot.
The locals, powered by Aidan Sweeney, Declan O’Donnell, Oisin Cassidy, Enda McCormick and Daire McDaid, took the fight to the visitors from the off.
But they made little or no impression on the scoreboard against a packed and well marshalled Naomh Columba defence.
The locals had only three points to show for all their first half efforts while Naomh Columba added three quickfire points after Byrne’s goal to lead by six points at the break.
Ryan McNern and the impressive Pauric Ward and Aaron Doherty - who was released by Donegal manager Declan Bonner to give his club 30 minutes - scored the Naomh Columba points.
The winners got the second half off to a dream start with three quick points to stretch their advantage out to nine.
And the margin was still eight entering the final quarter before Termon found a rich vein and posted six points without reply to reduce the margin to two points three minutes from the end of normal time.
Anthony Grant, Daire McDaid (4) and Caolan McDaid kicked the points with Coalan’s strike a glorious chance for a goal.
But two points was as close as the locals got with Ryan McNern kicking the insurance point deep in injury for a big win and two more precious points from the men from Pairc Na nGael.

TERMON: Michael Boyle; Paul McDaid, Kevin McDaid, Caolan Gallagher; Shane Doherty, Nathan McElwaine, Oisin Cassidy; Aidan Sweeney, Declan O’Donnell; Daniel Connaghan, Christy Connaghan, Anthony Grant (0-1); Enda McCormick (0-2,2f), Daire McDaid (0-7, 3f,1’45), Ryan McFadden. Subs: John McCafferty for R McFadden, 49; Caolan McDaid (0-1) for D Connaghan 40.

NAOMH COLUMBA: Shane O’Gara; Martin Cunningham, Philip Doherty, Barry Carr; Pauric Ward (0-1), Kevin McNern, Stephen Jones; Paddy Byrne (1-1), Fionn Gallagher; Ryan McNern (0-2), Lanty Molloy (0-1), Gavin McGinley; Ronan Gillespie, Ryan Gillespie (0-3,2f), Kieran McBrearty. Subs: Aaron Doherty (0-3) for Ronan Gillespie 28; Pauric O’Neill for G McGinley 51.

REFEREE: Liam McConologue (Downings)