DONAGHMOYNE showed the spirit of true champions as they claimed their 12th Ulster senior club championship title in an absorbing game in Killyclogher yesterday.
The defending champions looked like they might relinquish their crown when Termon took the lead through their sharpshooter Geraldine McLaughlin with seven minutes of normal time remaining, but the loss of corner-forward Shannon McLaughlin to the sin-bin for the final 10 minutes proved crucial.
Donaghmoyne levelled through Louise Kerley (free) two minutes into additional time before fellow teenager, 17-year-old Lauren Garland, fired straight between the posts in the 66th minute to put Donaghmoyne back into the lead.
Two minutes later, another Kerley free was enough to ensure victory as time ran out for the Donegal side.
This was the seventh time the sides have met in the final this decade with Donaghmoyne, appearing in their 16th straight final, now taking victory in four of those. Donaghmoyne came blazing out of the blocks and led by 0-4 to no score after just seven minutes as Termon, appearing in their first Ulster final since 2015, looked edgy.
Eimear Traynor, Cathriona McConnell (free), Kerley and Lauren Garland giving the champions an early cushion.
The second quarter saw Termon take over. They were deploying a gameplan of playing deep with the intention of hitting Allstar nominee Geraldine McLaughlin and, when they finally settled, it was reaping rewards.
She got them up and running with a point from a free in the ninth minute and, by the 18th, she had the sides level at 0-4 apiece. Another converted free edged them in front for the first time in the 22nd minute, but Kerley was on target to square the sides again.
Donaghmoyne had put Sharon Courtney on McLaughlin, but the full-forward was proving too hot to handle and her hard-earned sixth point put Termon ahead 0-6 to 0-5.
Kerley tied the game for a third time with a superb effort on 30 minutes and, three minutes into added time, the champions nipped in for the game’s opening goal when Cora Courtney pounced on some indecision from Termon goalkeeper Maureen O’Donnell to flick her captain Hazel Kingham’s dropping shot to the net for a 1-6 to 0-6 half-time lead.
That was pushed out to four points when McConnell got on the end of a patient build-up in the 33rd minute, but once more McLaughlin (free) kept Termon within reach. McConnell (free) pushed Donaghmoyne back out to three points in the 39th minute and, as the game’s intensity increased, Termon went close to opening goal but McLaughlin surprising fired wide.
At the other end, Traynor skipped past the challenge of three or four Termon defenders, beat O’Donnell in the goals but could do nothing about her rasping shot coming back off the post. Straight down the other end, a long ball in found its way to McLaughlin via Bridget Gallagher.
Her initial effort was saved but Lucy O’Flynn scrambled the ball home and suddenly it was a one-point game with 18 minutes remaining.
McLaughlin levelled and put her side in front for the first time since the 27th minute before they were dealt that blow of losing Shannon McLaughlin and Donaghmoyne found the extra reserve they needed to see out the win. Donaghmoyne’s Annmarie Burns, who is an integral part of manager Francie Coleman’s backroom team, was delighted to come through an epic battle.
“It was tight the whole way through, we know it was going to be tight but the girls pulled it out there in the end,” he said.
“When they went a point up I thought we were in a bit of bother, but then wee Lauren stepped up and, no bother to her, she threw it over the bar.
“They never give up. They never gave up. They worked and worked and that is our motto all year, every game. If we have the right workrate we’ll get over the line.
“Geraldine [McLaughlin] is a top class player and you just can’t leave her for a second. Sharon is one of our top class players and it was just a great tussle between them.
“She got those points and got them back into the game and we kind of looked a wee bit vulnerable but the girls keep tipping away and we got a few scores.''
MATCH STATS
Donaghmoyne L Martin; J Geoghegan, F Courtney, H Kingham (capt); J Courtney, S Courtney, E Traynor (0-1); A Casey-Finnegan, C Courtney; L Garland (0-2), R Courtney, L Kerley (0-5,0-3 frees); A McElroy, C McConnell (0-3, 0-1 free), N Callan
Subs R Finnegan for McElroy (52)
Termon M O’Donnell; C Gorman, N McLaughlin, O McCafferty; M McDaid, E Gallagher (capt), N Friel; E McGinley, M Alcorn; L O’Flynn (1-0), B Gallagher, JL Murray; E Alcorn, G McLaughlin (0-9, 0-5 frees), S McLaughlin
Subs J McFadden for Murray (46)
Referee: B Rice (Down)
