After Termon dominated the opening period, the second half was a much different story with the Inishowen men controlling matters and they will probably be thinking that if they had been more accurate in the opening half, they could be on their way back to Division One.

As it is they must do it all over again and with both sides looking very tired at the end of yesterday's encounter, they will be little between them in the replay either.

When the sides met earlier in the league Termon were winners at the Burn Road by five points, while Malin won their home game by four.

The first half was a very tame affair with Termon dominating on the scoreboard while Malin had plenty of opportunities but just couldn't find the target.

Anthony McGrenra pointed Termon ahead inside the first minute but the Termon lost centre-forward Francie Friel on five minutes, being replaced by Christy Connaghan, the Finn Harps starlet, who got special permission to tog out ahead of Harps' last home game later in the evening.

Brendan Robinson added to the Termon lead and Trevor Alcorn put Termon three clear on nine minutes before Malin got their only point of the opening half, Anthony Kelly pointing from a 13m free almost on the sideline on ten minutes. It was a great score but the Inishowen men were unable to build on it, hitting six wides, some of the shooting from poor positions.

Christy Connaghan made his mark on 14 minutes when he converted a free for Termon and while the poor shooting of Malin continued, Termon went four clear on 21 minutes.

Midfielder Jamie Gallagher set up the point, finding corner-back, Sean 'The Decent' O'Donnell on a great run and he
tore through the Malin defence to fire over from 20m.
The Termon men had a great chance to take a really decisive lead to the dressing room as three minutes into added time Trevor Alcorn found himself free in front of the Malin goal but pulled his shot wide of the posts.

Half-time: Termon 0-5, Malin 0-1.

The second half was much more entertaining and it was helped by a Malin team who were transformed from the opening thirty minutes. Within two minutes of the restart Anthony Kelly had found the range twice, from a free and from play, to reduce the margin to two. The second point came through the intervention of his brother, Paddy, who had a big influence on the comeback.

It seemed as if Termon had restored their dominance when Christy Connaghan popped over two good ponits by the 38th minute, but alas Termon were not to raise another flag as the Inishowen men took control.

Matthew Byrne put them on their way with the first score other than those from Anthony Kelly and Kelly hit two frees in the 43rd and 48th minute to reduce the margin to the minimum.

When Gary Friel levelled matters a minute later it looked as if the momentum was with Malin, but Termon had a great chance to go ahead again on 50 minutes when James Doherty was fouled but Christy Connaghan slipped as he made contact with the free and the ball went just wide of the posts. Termon brought in Johnny McCafferty, despite being hospitalised last week, for the final ten minutes but it was Malin who had the best chance in those tension-filled final minutes.

Anthony Kelly had a chance from a free from almost a similar postion from which Connaghan missed and he somehow pushed his shot wide - his only miss of the day.

Both sides tried for the winner in a helter skelter final few minutes but neither side came close. It was expected that there would be extra-time but when Seamus McGonigle blew the final whistle, he made his way off the field.

In the end a draw was probably a fair result, but both sides will feel that they left it behind. However, they will have to do it all over again.

Scorers - Termon: Christy Connaghan 0-3,1f; Sean O'Donnell, Anthony
McGrenra, Brendan Robinson, Trevor Alcorn 0-1 each.
Malin: Anthony Kelly 0-5,3f; Matthew Byrne, Gary Farren 0-1 each.

Termon: Michael Boyle; Joe O'Donnell, Kevin McGettigan, Sean O'Donnell; Jimmy McElwaine, Paddy McDaid, Barry Nelis; Jamie Gallagher, Bernard Alcorn; Daireann Gibson, Francie Friel, Anthony McGrenra; Ollie Doherty, Brendan Robinson, Trevor Alcorn. Subs., Christy Connaghan for Friel 5; James Doherty for B Alcorn 38; Bernard Alcorn for Robinson 49; Johnny McCafferty for Nelis 53; Pauric Hilferty for D Gibson 57.

Malin: Declan Lafferty; John McLaughlin, Declan Walsh, Darren doherty; Daniel Greene, Charlie Byrne, John McLaughlin; Paddy Kelly, Anthony Kelly; Conor Farren, Damien Ward, Kevin McColgan; Gary Farren, Matthew Byrne, Pat McColgan. Subs., Michael Doherty for J McLaughlin ht.

Referee: Seamus McGonigle (Aodh Ruadh)