ON AN evening when Aaron Doherty delivered a scoring exhibition, Naomh Columba were pipped at the post by Termon in a controversial conclusion.
Termon 3-12 Naomh Columba 2-13
By Chris McNulty at The Burn Road
Doherty scored a stunning 2-11, but Glen somehow made the trek back to the south-west empty handed.
The game was tied at 2-12 apiece when Doherty was involved in the moment that swung the pendulum in Termon’s favour.
Doherty was weaving his way into position when he appeared to have been fouled. After managing to steady himself with play continuing, Doherty was upended again.
Referee Robbie O’Donnell waved play-on and, within seconds Daire McDaid, who hit seven points for the winners, was off-loading for Eoghan Doherty to fire in a third Termon goal.
Naomh Columba were livid. Doherty added a point in stoppage time, but time ran out and they were certainly entitled to feel aggrieved as they made for home.
Doherty purred over the hour and Glen, who were four behind at half-time, led by six midway through the second half. Doherty was the orchestrator from centre-forward and it was a performance, surely, that will have perked ears beyond the Burn Road.
Doherty netted twice in the space of eight minutes. First, he nipped in to finish from Pauric Cunningham’s 36th minute delivery to level the game, 1-8 to 1-8.
A gorgeous 45-metre free by Doherty lifted the visitors again before Fionn Gallagher – whose father, Johnny, hails from Termon – made it a three-point game.
Doherty combined with Lanty Molloy and his lobbed effort deceived Emmet Maguire, the Termon goalkeeper for a second Naomh Columba goal.
It was Termon, unbeaten so far in 2021, who held sway at half-time, thanks largely to a goal after 11 minutes by Ricky Gallagher. Bobby McGettigan towered to win possession and Gallagher finished well from James Doherty’s pass.
Anthony Grant landed a monster point from the sideline and Eoghan Doherty’s point from a tight angle had Termon 1-7 to 0-6 ahead at half-time.
McDaid curled over after taking receipt of James Doherty’s superb pass before Aaron Doherty hit a purple patch.
McGettigan fed James McSharry, who finished low for a second Termon; a score that kicked Francie Friel’s men back to action.
Aaron Reid and McDaid struck to even the sums, but there was to be a further twist.
Glen finished with 14 men as Eric Carr saw red in a frenetic closing chapter.
Termon: Emmet Maguire; Eoghan Doherty (1-1), Oisin Cassidy, Nathan McElwaine; Steve McDaid, Barry McGeehan, James Doherty; Ricky Gallagher (1-0), Jack Alcorn (0-1); James McSharry, (1-0) Conor Cassidy, Anthony Grant (0-1); Daire McDaid (0-7, 6f), Bobby McGettigan (0-1), Aaron Reid (0-1). Sub: Conor McFadden Alcorn (22),
Naomh Columba: Paddy Byrne; Philip McNern, Barry Carr, Eric Carr; Liam Boyle, Michael Maguire, Pauric Ward; Christopher Byrne, Fionn Gallagher; Ryan McNern, Aaron Doherty, Lanty Molloy; Ronan Gillespie, Declan McGuire, Pauric Cunningham. Subs: David O’Donnell for Gillespie (half-time), Kevin McNern for McGuire (46), Ronan O’Hare for Boyle (56).
Referee: Robbie O’Donnell (Naomh Muire)
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