Donegal 0-18

Tyrone 0-16

After extra-time

DONEGAL CAME THROUGH an extra-time marathon to shake off Tyrone and seal a place in the Ulster SFC final against Armagh in two weeks’ time. 

In the end, points from Shane O’Donnell and two from Patrick McBrearty were the difference as Brian Dooher’s Tyrone were taken to their limit for the second time in eight days. They didn’t trail from the ninth till the 72nd and in the end just had nothing in the tank. 

In Jim McGuinness, Donegal have a man who has now 15 from 16 in the northern province. 

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

The first half was claustrophobic, with a series of deliberate passages of play, with Tyrone getting the better of it. They were much more economical in front of goal and went in at the break with a lead of 0-8 to 0-5.

In a contest of few openings, Donegal kicked six wides and dropped two short into Niall Morgan’s hands, with the Tyrone goalkeeper kicking Tyrone’s only wide.

Sean O’Donnell, Ciaran Daly and Morgan joined the usual suspects Darren McCurry and Darragh Canavan on the scoreboard. There was never more than two in it, till the last point of the half, when a piece of direct football from Moran through to Brian Kennedy, then Mattie Donnelly, set up Cathal McShane to pop over. 

After the break, a Jason McGee score was Donegal’s first in 16 minutes and the midfielder added a second two minutes later on 40. Despite their troubles, Donegal were just one behind, 0-8 to 0-7. 

Three in succession for Tyrone, through Morgan, Daly and Canavan though, reopened a three-point lead and for all Donegal’s extra zip installed in the third quarter, they concluded it with the same deficit.

They kept their purposefulness though and were the ones pushing late on. Peadar Mogan, Caolan McGonagle, Gallen and Ciaran Thompson got them level but when Canavan scored a smart mark, Tyrone were one ahead in the dying embers. Donegal kept going and their injury time leveller came from an unlikely source, full-back Brendan McCole at 0-14 to 0-14. 

With both teams running on instinct, it was going to go to the wire one way or the other and McGuinness used the break before full-time to freshen it up. Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí edged Donegal in front only for the brilliant Mattie Donnelly to tie it up and then Michael McKernan got his second of the day for a 0-6 to 0-15 Tyrone lead.

However, McBrearty, who had initially been withdrawn at half-time, hit two late points either side of Shane O’Donnell’s to give Donegal a two-point win.

Donegal scorers: Oisin Gallen 0-3, 3f; Niall O’Donnell, Daire Ó Baoill and Jason McGee 0-2; Ciaran Thompson and Patrick McBrearty 0-2, 1f; Peadar Mogan, Caolan McGonagle, Brendan McCole, Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí and Shane O’Donnell 0-1.

Tyrone scorers: Darragh Canavan 0-4, 1f, 1m;  Niall Morgan 0-3, 3f; Darren McCurry 0-2, 2f; Ciaran Daly and Michael McKernan 0-2; Sean O’Donnell, Cathal McShane and Mattie Donnelly 0-1

Donegal: 

Gavin Mulreany

Mark Curran, Brendan McCole, Ciaran Moore

Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Peadar Mogan

Jason McGee, Michael Langan

Shane O’Donnell, Ciaran Thompson, Daire Ó Baoill

Patrick McBrearty, Oisin Gallen, Niall O’Donnell.

Subs:

Aaron Doherty for McBrearty (half-time)

Jamie Brennan for Ó Baoill (48)

Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí for Curran (70+2).

Caolan McColgan, Ó Baoill and McBrearty for Doherty, Brennan  and Moore (extra-time),

Doherty for Gallen (half-time, extra-time),

Brennan for O’Donnell (88)

Tyrone: 

Niall Morgan

Conal Devlin, Padraig Hampsey, Michael McKernan

Sean O’Donnell, Mattie Donnelly, Niall Devlin

Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick;

Ciaran Daly, Kieran McGeary Michael O’Neill

Darren McCurry, Darragh Canavan, Cathal McShane.

Subs:

Aidan Clarke for Devlin (41)

Ben Cullen for McGearty (63)

Ruaurí Canavan for O’Neill (76)

Aidan Donaghy and Cormac Donnell for McShane and Kilpatrick (88)

Ref: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)