Intermediate Football Championship battle set to narrow down to final two

Down to the last four, the stakes go up a notch this weekend for the four teams remaining in the race for the Donegal IFC.

Downings and Termon and Gaeil Fhánada and Malin are the four teams remaining in the championship. Downings and Termon go head to head in O’Donnell Park on Saturday afternoon, while Gaeil Fhánada and Malin meet in O’Donnell Park on Sunday afternoon with the Downings-Termon tie, the clash of two of the favourites.

“I’ve always felt that it was going to come down to three or four teams,” says St Eunan’s clubman Barry Meehan and a member of Rory Kavanagh’s management team with the O’Donnell Park seniors.

He also has management experience with both St Naul’s and Gaeil Fhánada at Intermediate level and is a keen follower of Intermediate football.

“We (St Eunan’s) played Downings and Malin this season in the league, they were both in Division One and acquitted themselves well. I always felt they were going to be in the shake up,” says the St Eunan’s clubman.

“Naomh Columba and Termon were the other two. But they met in last weekend's quarter-final and Termon came out on top. So I suppose Gaeil Fhánada are the surprise semi-finalists. They defeated a fancied Buncrana in last weekend’s quarter-final in Convoy. It was a result that surprised a lot of people.”

But he insisted it was a result that did not surprise him.

“When I was down with Fanad a couple of seasons ago I remember we played Buncrana in the league and Paddy Carr did a fine marking job on Caolan McGonagle and going on all reports Paddy did a good marking job on Caolan again on Saturday.

“Fanad have a good young team and knowing the players, the win over Termon in the last of the group games has been a big boost to confidence and will have brought them on.

“It is going to be an interesting weekend in the IFC and I expect two cracking semi-finals.”

The St Eunan’s man believes, like most observers, the clash of Termon and Downings in the first of the semi- finals is the clash of the big two.

“The one thing I have noticed about this year’s intermediate championship is that goals are a big feature of the championship. If you look at last weekend’s game between Termon and Naomh Columba, Bobby McGettigan scored the two goals that were the big scores in the game.

“It was the same in the Malin and Bundoran game, Daniel Houghton and Brendan McLaughlin scored the two goals that decided the game.

“It was much the same in the Downings versus Red Hughs game, Johnny McGroddy and Paddy McElwee scored the goals that were decisive in that game.

“Even if you go back to the group game between Termon and Downings, Daire McDaid scored the two first half goals. And even if you go back to last year's championship it was Dungloe’s ability to hit the net that separated them from the rest.”

Saturday: O’Donnell Park, throw-in 12 noon, Downings v Termon

Downings and Termon have already met in this year’s championship with Termon emerging 2-8 to 1-3 winners at the Burn Road.

Daire McDaid scored two goals and two points - one of the goals was from the penalty spot - Cian McMenamin posted two points and Anthony Black, Ricky Gallagher, Bobby McGettigan, Steve McElwaine also raised white flags in the win.

Ethan Cullen scored the goal and Paddy McElwee, Ronan Doherty and Lorcan Connor hit a point each for Downings.

It was Downings' poor return of a goal and three points more that the actual result that was the big surprise to emerge from the Burn Road after that game.

“I don’t think Termon are going to have it as easy as the last day the two met. I expect this game will be a lot closer.

“Downings would have done a fair bit of soul searching after that game and the hurt from that defeat will have run deep.

“They bounced back well from the Termon defeat with some good results and performances in the remaining group games including a big win away to Naomh Columba. And they had a good win at the weekend in the quarter final over Red Hughs.

“In Johnny McGroddy, Lorcan Connor and Paddy McElwee they have three class forwards and three match winners.

“Termon are an exciting young team and have a lot of quality throughout their team in Daire McDaid, Ryan McFadden, the Grants, Jamie and Anthony, Cian McMenamin and Bobby McGettigan.

“But it is a tricky tie for Termon and they are going to have to stay focussed on this game and not read too much into the last day.

“I believe it is going to be a very close game with little between them. It will be a game of fine margins. If Termon can focus on the job in hand they might just shade it. But I expect it to be a cliffhanger.”

Verdict: Termon

Sunday: O’Donnell Park, 3 pm,Malin v Gaeil Fhánada

Malin and Gaeil Fhánada booked their place in the last four with victories over Bundoran and Buncrana, respectively last weekend.

Daniel Houghton and Brendan McLaughlin, scored the goals - both in the first half - in Malin’s 2-9 to 0-10 win over Realt Na Mara.

Jimmy Coyle scored the only goal and Darren McElwaine, Paddy Carr and Mark McAteer posted the bulk of the points for Gaeil Fhánada in their 1-13 to 0-14 win over a fancied Buncrana in their quarter -final clash in Convoy.

“Gaeil Fhánada’s win over Buncrana was seen as a surprise result by some. But it came as no surprise to me. I had a slight fancy for Gaeil Fhánada ahead of the game.

“From working with them for a couple of years I know Fanad fairly well and they have a lot of good young footballers come through in the last few years.

“When I was with them they played Buncrana in a league and Paddy Carr had a great game marking Caolan McGonagle. Caolan is a big player for Buncrana and I felt if he was curtailed Fanad had a great chance and I was confident Paddy was good enough to go toe to toe with him. Paddy is a fine footballer.

“Malin had a good win over Bundoran and I saw them against St Eunan’s in the league and I was very impressed with them. They are well structured and they have a good system and they had a very good league.

“And in Brendan Fildara and Christopher Fildara McLaughlin, Josh C0nlon and the two O’Neills, Conor and Paul, they have quality forwards.

“Before the championship got underway if you asked me I would be saying Malin would be one of my favourites for the championship.

“But up until last weekend they did not set the championship on fire. Maybe they are timing their run.

“They are coming up against a Fanad side high in confidence after their last two wins over Termon and Buncrana. In Paddy Carr, Liam McGreneghan, Darren McElwaine and Mark McAteer they have a lot of quality.

“If Fanad can curtail Brendan and Christopher Fildara I give them a great chance because I feel they have the forwards at the other end to run up a winning score.

“It is going to be tight and there won’t be much between them but I just feel Fanad might just get over the line.”

Verdict: Gaeil Fhánada