First-half Courtney goal points Donaghmoyne towards Ulster title

ULSTER SENIOR CLUB FOOTBALL FINAL

 

Donaghmoyne (Monaghan) 1-11 
Termon (Donegal) 1-9

By Alan Gunn

Donaghmoyne clinched their 12th Ulster senior club title in dramatic fashion at Killyclogher this afternoon.

Late points from 17-year-old Lauren Garland and 18-year-old Louise Kerley eventually saw the defending champions shake off the resilient challenge of Termon for a two-point victory.

Termon trailed by four points early in the second-half but looked on course for a third provincial crown themselves when they turned it around to lead by one point with seven minutes. Geraldine McLaughlin, who scored all of her side’s nine points, nudged them in front at that stage and the Donegal side looked likeliest winners.

Termon had battled back thanks to a 42nd minute Lucy O’Flynn goal, but the loss of corner forward Shannon McLaughlin to the sin bin in the 59th minute proved crucial. With ten minutes of added time played, Kerley levelled the game from a free before those two late, late points guaranteed victory for the Monaghan champions.

Donaghmoyne raced into a four-point lead after seven minutes with points from Eimear Traynor, Cathriona McConnell (free), Louise Kerley and Lauren Garland.

Termon kept plenty of players in their defence with the aim of hitting Geraldine McLaughlin with their out-ball, and with her sister Nicole winning vital ball in defence, it was working as she grabbed the game’s next five points. Three of those scores came from frees to move the Donegal champions in the lead for the first time in the 22nd minute.

Kerley levelled the game for the second time in the 26th minute before All Star nominee Geraldine McLaughlin, winning a ball she had no right to against Sharon Courtney, played a one-two with Bridget Gallagher, before she kicked a sweet point to put Termon in the lead again.

The impressive Kerley matched McLaughlin’s effort with a fine score to tie the score at 0-6 apiece before Donaghmoyne grabbed the game’s opening goal three minutes into first-half injury time. Cora Courtney flicked a high dropping ball from captain Hazel Kingham over the end of Termon goalkeeper Maureen O’Donnell to send them in at the break 1-6 to 0-6 ahead.

McConnell moved Donaghmoyne four in front three minutes after the resumption but McLaughlin responded with a free. Termon continued to battle hard and after Kerley saw her shot come back off the post, O’Flynn scrambled the ball home at the other end after McLaughlin’s effort was initially saved.

But it proved a false dawn for Termon and Garland as Kerley kicked the winning scores for Donaghmoyne, as they claimed a fourth provincial win in the last five attempts.

Scorers – Donaghmoyne: L Kerley 0-5 (2f) C Courtney 1-0, C McConnell 0-3 (2f), L Garland 0-2, E Traynor 0-1, Termon: G McLaughlin 0-9 (5f), L O’Flynn 1-0)

Donaghmoyne: L Martin; J Geoghegan, F Courtney, H Kingham (ct); J Courtney, S Courtney, E Traynor; A Casey-Finnegan, C Courtney; L Garland, R Courtney, L Kerley; A McElroy, C McConnell, N Callan. Subs: R Finnegan for McElroy (52).

Termon: M O’Donnell; C Gorman, N McLaughlin, O McCafferty; M McDaid, E Gallagher (c), N Friel; E McGinley, M Alcorn; L O’Flynn, B Gallagher, J L Murray; E Alcorn, G McLaughlin, S McLaughlin. Subs: J McFadden for Murray (46).

Referee: B Rice (Down).