By Damian Dowds

TERMON and Malin must meet again to decide who will meet Gaoth Dobhair in the Division 2 League final, and more importantly to determine who will be promoted to Division 1 for 2010.

After a subdued first period where Termon, county finalists in 2008, led by 0-5 to 0-1, Malin found their rhythm in the second half and held Termon scoreless for the final 25 minutes of the game. The Inishowen side finally drew level in the 49th minute, but spurned three good chances after that to move ahead.

At full time, Termon were no doubt relieved that the game wasn't going to extra time while Malin will probably feel that they left it behind them.

Termon dominated the first period, slicing through the Malin defence with regularity and creating a barrowful of chances – five different players got on the scoresheet. Malin were ponderous in attack, and hit six first half wides, many of them from good positions.

Malin's reliance on Anthony Kelly to provide the bulk of his team's scores will be a source of concern to manager Louis Walsh. Too often, players wearing black and amber seemed afraid to shoot and instead sought out Kelly and offloaded the ball – and the scoring responsibility – to him.

Termon threatened to run away with it in the early stages with Anthony McGrenra and Brendan Robinson both taking good points from the left within the first seven minutes. The introduction of Christy Conaghan for the injured Francie Friel after six minutes gave added impetus to the Termon attack. His movement and vision, as well as his accuracy from free kicks (he scored a huge free from almost 45 metres out midway through the half) was an asset for the Termon men.

Trevor Alcorn stretched Termon's lead to three points without reply in the ninth minute before Anthony Kelly opened Malin's account with a pointed free from an acute angle on the left sideline on ten minutes.

But the remainder of the half belonged to Termon. Their defence snuffed out Malin's attacks with corner back Joe O'Donnell sweeping up a lot of ball. Indeed, his counterpart at left corner back got up front for a score when, after as surging run, Sean O'Donnell drove over a fine 21st minute point.

Malin were coming into it, with Paddy Kelly bossing midfield and Charlie Byrne setting up attacks from his centre half back berth, but the Termon defence weren't in a mood to give up cheap scores and Malin finished the half with a solitary point on the board. Trevor Alcorn had a goal chance in injury time, but he flashed his shot wide of Declan Lafferty's posts as Termon took a 0-5 to 0-1 lead into the half-time dressing room.

Malin were an entirely different beast in the second half and two Anthony Kelly points, one from a free and one from play, had reduced the deficit to just two points within 100 seconds of the restart.

Christy Conaghan replied for Termon when he got out in front of Declan Walsh, shimmied past the full back and pointed from close range in the third minute and repeated the trick in the 37th minute to re-establish his side's half time margin of four points.

But that was to be Termon's last score of the game as Malin upped the ante.

Matthew Byrne, who had been guilty of some poor misses in the first half, pointed for Malin in the 38th minute after Michael Boyle had come smartly off his line to smother a Conor Farren goal chance.

Two further Anthony Kelly frees, in the 42nd and 48th minutes reduced the deficit to a single point before Gary Farren found space on the right to equalise in the 49th minute as the game rushed to its frantic conclusion.

With Paddy Kelly dominating midfield and half-time substitute Michael Doherty causing problems at left half forward, Termon re-introduced Bernard Alcorn who had been substituted just ten minutes earlier and they also brought on Johnny McCafferty. After breaking down at training recently McCafferty had been advised by doctors against playing, but with his team in trouble in several sectors of the field, he cut an agitated figure on the sideline and was itching to join the fray.

Both Conaghan and Anthony Kelly missed scorable frees as the energy sapping conditions began to take their toll, but Malin were finishing much more strongly than their opponents. They had two good chances to steal the win in injury time but first Charlie Byrne and then Matthew Byrne put both shots wide and the game finished with the sides all square at 0-7 apiece.

Termon will be hoping that injuries to Daireann Gibson and Francie Friel clear up in time for next week's replay while Malin will know that they can't afford to put in another lacklustre first half.

Malin: Declan Lafferty; John McLaughlin (R), Declan Walsh, Darren Doherty; Daniel Green, Charlie Byrne, John McLaughlin (JM); Paddy Kelly, Anthony Kelly (0-5, 4 frees); Conor Farren, Damian Ward, Kevin McColgan; Gary Farren (0-1), Matthew Byrne (0-1), Patrick McColgan. Subs: Michael Doherty for J. McLaughlin (R) half time.

Termon: Michael Boyle; Joe O'Donnell, Kevin McGettigan, Sean O'Donnell (0-1); Jimmy McElwaine, Paddy McDaid, Barry Nelis; Jamie Gallagher, Bernard Alcorn; Daireann Gibson, Brendan Robinson (0-1), Anthony McGrenra (0-1); Ollie Doherty, Francie Friel, Trevor Alcorn (0-1). Subs: Christy Conaghan (0-3, 1 free) for F. Friel (6 mins); James Doherty for B. Alcorn (37 mins); Bernard Alcorn for B. Robinson (48 mins); Johnny McCafferty for B. Nelis (53 mins); P. Hilferty for D. Gibson (58 mins).

Referee: Seamus McGonigle