All Ireland Champions Termon who defeated Glenfin the Donegal League final
Termon 6-12 Glenfin 2-02
ALL-Ireland champions Termon completed a clean-sweep of trophies for 2014 as they blasted their way to the League title at the expense of Glenfin at the Burn Road on Sunday.
Seven days on from their All-Ireland final win over Mourneabbey at Tuam, Termon scored another sensational win and Geraldine McLaughlin repeated the dosage from the All-Ireland. McLaughlin scored 3-8 against Mourneabbey and she fired 3-8 past an understrength Glenfin.
It means that Termon’s ladies have now won a staggering 23 titles in the last five years and 2014 as seen them collect six Cups: the All-Ireland, Ulster and Donegal SFCs, the Donegal and All-Ireland Gaeltacht titles and now the Donegal Senior League crown.
The visitors were missing Sharon McGlynn, Diane McGlynn, Ellen Muldoon, Grainne Houston, Orla McGinty, Karen Ward, Hannah Logue and Ciara Ward and their absence was felt against the newly-crowned queens of Ireland.
Glenfin provided a guard of honour for Termon at the start of the game and the home side scorched in for their first goal with barely thirty seconds gone. From the throw-in, Dara Kelly off-loaded to McLaughlin and she found Shannon McGroddy lurking at the edge of the square and McGroddy tapped home.
McLaughlin added to Glenfin’s woes with another goal shortly afterwards.
But the Glenfin ladies stuck to the task, led by Donegal’s player of the year, Katy Herron – who had a brilliant personal duel with Maria Carr who had been nominated on the team of the week after her All-Ireland display.
Francie Friel’s Termon team was without the unavailable Emer Gallagher, Roisin McCafferty and Olive McCafferty and they gave starting slots to Lauren McElwaine, Niamh Friel and Lucy O’Flynn. while Anna Gallagher, Holly McDaid, Shauna Kelly and Jamie Leigh Murray all made appearances for the home side.
The youngsters certainly staked a claim for starting positions ahead of the 2015 campaign as McDaid, Gallagher, O’Flynn, Kelly, Murray and McElwaine all stepped up to the mark on a day when even the hardiest of natives felt the chill.
Termon played with a wind advantage that blew from Barnes Gap to Doonwell and were in control of matters in the early stages with McElwaine, Niamh Friel and Petra McCafferty taking charge.
Karen Guthrie hit two goals for Glenfin while Aine Ward also played well and Cavan senior referee Maggie Farrelly – who was domiciled in Donegal but has returned to her homeland of late – played a stormer for the visitors.
But with points from Anna Gallagher, Lucy O’Flynn, Dara Kelly and Maureen O’Donnell and with McLaughlin turning on the turbo boosters it was to be Termon’s day. As Donegal Ladies Board Chairman Harry McGlynn presented the Cup to McLaughlin the burning question on everybody’s lips was: Is this to be the last game for the evergreen Maureen O’Donnell in the maroon and white?
The normally vocal O’Donnell refuysed to be drawn in the celebrations.
Termon panel: Laura Gallagher, Lauren McElwaine, Niamh Friel, Petra McCafferty, Theres McCafferty, Nicole McLaughlin, Maria Carr, Shannon McGroddy, Dara Kelly, Grainne McCafferty, Sharon McLaughlin, Lucy O’Flynn, Maureen O’Donnell, Geraldine McLaughlin, Roisin Friel, Anna Gallagher, Lucy O’Flynn, Holly McDaid, Shauna Kelly, Jamie Leigh Murray.
Glenfin panel: Jodi McGlynn, Mary Ward, Gemma Glackin, Sinead McGinty, Coleen McGrath, Rachel Ward, Bridgeen Bonner, Maggie Farrelly, Karen Guthrie, Laura McKenna, Clodagh Walsh, Catherine Brown, Aine Ward, Katy Herron, Megan O’Meara.
Referee: Michael Mulhern (St Eunans)
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