GAA – MINOR DIVISION 2 CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
BY RYAN FERRY
Four Masters 1-12 Termon 2-5
FOUR Masters stormed to victory against a gallant Termon side in Convoy on Saturday afternoon and deservedly captured the Division 2 Minor Championship.
The Donegal Town men were the dominant team on the day and they took control in the 15th minute when Darren Doherty scored a fine goal.
Termon battled hard and created a number of goal chances, but they found the Four Masters captain, Ryan Haughey, in inspired form between they sticks.
The Burn Road outfit did eventually find the net twice, but they were always playing second fiddle to the victors and Four Masters’ sharpshooter Jack Keaney kicked them to glory in the second half.
The game was played at 13-a-side due to Termon’s low numbers, and that meant there was a lot of space on Convoy’s impeccably well-kept pitch.
The two clubs clashed in last year’s under 16 ‘B’ Championship final, with Termon taking the honours, but Four Masters were in no mood for second place on this occasion.
Caolan McDaid opened the scoring for Termon with a free after three minutes, but Four Masters replied immediately, with Nathan Ward landing a sweet point from play.
Both teams struggled to get to the pace of the game, and Termon had a lucky escape when Thomas McGowan robbed their goalkeeper Shay McElwaine, but Conor O’Grady got back in time to superbly clear off the line.
However, three minutes later, Four Masters did hit the net. Patrick Reid claimed possession in midfield and he quickly fed Jack Keaney. The wing-forward picked out Darren Doherty and he drilled the ball into the bottom corner.
Nathan Ward (free) and Keaney tagged on quickfire points, and Termon squandered two goal chances when Lee Doherty blazed wide and Haughey saved from Stephen Doherty.
Stephen Doherty made amends when he pointed from an acute angle, but Darren Doherty showed good perseverance to power through the middle and point.
The players had to endure a snow storm as the first half drew to a close and James McSharry had the final say before the interval when he dissected the posts from 35 metres, despite being off balance.
Michael Breslin’s Four Masters were out of the blocks quickly after the restart and Keaney scored two fine efforts from distance to extend their lead.
Termon looked doomed, but they refused to cave in. Enda McCormick’s quick-thinking put Shane Doherty in on goal in the 40th minute, but Haughey denied him with a brilliant save.
However, they did make the breakthrough two minutes later, when Shane Doherty was hauled to the floor and a penalty was awarded, which McCormick dispatched with authority.
The goal reduced the deficit to just three points, but Four Masters hit back with two points in succession from Keaney (free) and McGowan.
McDaid (free) and Darren Doherty exchanged scores, before McSharry was the next Termon player to be denied by an excellent Haughey save.
Keaney kicked his fifth of the match in the 52nd minute and Sean Meehan scored an audacious point with the outside of his right foot, just seconds after his introduction.
Daire Quinn pushed Four Masters’ lead out to eight points, before Termon scored their second goal when McCormick’s long ball took a deflection and deceived Haughey to find its way into the net.
McDaid tagged on another free, but it wasn’t enough for Termon, and Four Masters were crowned Division 2 Minor champions.
Four Masters: Ryan Haughey; Kalvin McShane, Shane Cannon; Gareth Cleary, Dylan Kennedy, Aaron McCrea; Patrick Reid, Daire Quinn (0-1); Neil Ward, Darren Doherty (1-2), Jack Keaney (0-5,1f); Nathan Ward (0-2,1f), Thomas McGowan (0-1). Sub: Sean Meehan (0-1) for Neil Ward (52 mins).
Termon: Shay McElwaine; Evan O’Donoghue, Joe McCusker; Lee Doherty, Nathan McElwaine, Barry Gallagher; Caolan Mellett, Stephen Doherty (0-1); James McSharry (0-1), Caolan McDaid (0-3, 3fs), Conor O’Grady; Enda McCormick (1-0, 1 pen), Shane Doherty.
Referee: Enda McFeely.
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