Donegal refuse to let Tyrone have it all their own way
THIS was a night that literally washed away the notion that Ulster football is going to be reduced to a one-party state this summer.
The narrative, since last year’s Ulster triumph, suggested Tyrone would rule the province for the next few seasons; a perception beefed up by the sight of Donegal losing players by the mini-bus load in the close season.
Time, surely, now for a reassessment.
The immediate significance of this result for Rory Gallagher is that a spring which was supposed to be all about survival now promises to be something else.
If they can follow this up with another win over Monaghan next weekend, they will be in pole position to qualify for a first Allianz League final since winning it for the only time in 2007.
Perhaps, of greater significance, is the realisation that this notion of bowing the knee under Red Hand rule for the next couple of years, while Gallagher rebuilt a new team, can be parked.
No one underpins the confidence surging through Gallagher’s new look team as much as Ciarán Thompson, whose graph as an emerging talent continued upwards.
This is his second season – his rookie campaign sabotaged as injury limited his exposure in last summer’s Championship to a cameo role from the bench against Dublin – but he is fast becoming a player that Gallagher can build his team around.
With Paddy McBrearty forced to cry off before the start, the fear here was that the home team simply would not have the penetration to punch holes in a massed Tyrone defence.
Thompson quelled those fears inside three minutes when he defied the horrendous conditions to kick two fine efforts from distance but he kept his best for last, firing over from out on the sideline in first-half injury time to leave Donegal leading by 0-9 to 0-4 at the break.
It was no more than they deserved, a reward for a fierce work ethic and their ambition in pushing up on Michael O’Neill’s kick-outs, four of which they turned over in the opening half.
Meanwhile, Thompson’s shooting skills were proving to be infectious as the home team defied Tyrone’s mass defence, to shoot from deep with outrageous results.
The sides were locked together at 0-4 apiece after 20 minutes, with Tyrone hinting at a surge on the back of two Peter Harte points – one from a free – inside a minute.
But Donegal’s response was emphatic, reeling off five successive points from the 20th minute with the pick of them being Paddy McGrath’s effort from an acute angle, which also doubled the corner-back’s career scoring return in a Donegal shirt.
Tyrone’s sought to turn up the heat at the start of the second half which led to a pushing and shoving festival that lasted for in excess of four minutes, but rather than distract the winners, it only served to inspire.
Cian Mulligan, marked his debut off the bench by kicking a point, which was followed within a minute by a splendid effort as Donegal stretched their lead to 0-11 to 0-5 after 46 minutes.
They sat back and soaked up what little a blunt Tyrone attack offered, which was limited to two Seán Cavanagh points which bookended the half, and stung for the final time 12 minutes from the end as Ryan McHugh set up Hugh McFadden to kick their last point. DONEGAL: MA McGinley; P McGrath, N McGee, E Doherty; EB Gallagher, F McGlynn (C Mulligan h-t), P Brennan; M Murphy, C Thompson; M O’Reilly, E McHugh (70) R McHugh; M Carroll, H McFadden (M McElhinney 65), J Brennan (B McCole 70). Scorers: C Thompson 0-3, R McHugh, H McFadden 0-2 each, C Mulligan, E McHugh, F McGlynn, P McGrath, M Murphy (f) 0-1. Wides: (4) 9. Frees: (5) 14. black card: P McGrath (53). Yellow cards: M Murphy (29), P Brennan (44). TYRONE: M O’Neill; R Brennan (R O’Neill 58), R McNamee, C McCarron (J Munroe 54); T McCann, J McMahon (A McCory 52), C McShane (C Meyler h-t); C Cavanagh, D McClure (P Hampsey h-t); P McNulty, K McGeary, P Harte; M Bradley, S Cavanagh, M Donnelly Scorers: S Cavanagh 0-3 (2f), P Harte 0-2 (1f), R Brennan 0-1. Wides: (5) 12. Frees: (5) 12 Yellow cards: J McMahon (43), C Meyler (50), M Braldey (68), R O’Neill (70 & 6) Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).