After the opening match of the All-Ireland SFC, Donegal secured a comfortable 0-21 to 0-14 victory over Tyrone. The win sparked high spirits in the neighbouring towns of Ballybofey and Stranorlar, where the majority of the 16,607 spectators had witnessed Donegal’s striking performance. As elated fans spread onto the streets, Jim McGuinness’s team departed for their base in Convoy. McGuinness attributes each victory to precise attention to detail and hard work, shown in actions like his team’s recovery ice baths at the Donegal GAA Centre located 10 kilometres away.
McGuinness addressed the press at Convoy, declaring the need for them to hit the ground running once again, keeping focus on the minor, yet crucial aspects. He discussed the imminent challenges, acknowledging the short recovery time and arduous travel provisions. In his view, the competition is extremely intense and far from a walk in the park.
Oisín Gallen’s magnificent contribution of seven points, strengthened Donegal’s hold on the match, marking their second win over Tyrone in a month. Contrasted with their last-minute victory in the Ulster semi-final, this evening’s triumph entailed no last moment uncertainties. Peadar Mogan’s remarkable performance also propelled Donegal’s score to 0-11 against Tyrone’s 0-5 in the second half.
A glimmer of hope shone for Tyrone as Kieran McGeary scored with only 12 more minutes on the clock, alongside Peter Harte’s joining the match. This brought the gap down to three points. However, this hope dimmed when Cathal McShane, marking his 100th appearance for Tyrone, missed what could have been a game-altering shot. Donegal ended the match on a high note, with Michael Langan scoring one final decisive point, firmly sealing their win.
McGuinness expressed that their victory at home as champions of Ulster was a moment to savour, and praised his team for expressing themselves more freely than they ever have in the championship. In the match, a tense rivalry unfolded, with Donegal barely leading 0-10 to 0-9 at the halfway mark. Darragh Canavan’s missed goal in the opening half heightened the anticipation for what was to come.
In the 30th minute, closing in to a grand moment of the match, Ciarán Thompson’s shot missed by a hair’s breadth, hitting the post and subsequently exiting the wrong side of the target. The audience in Ballybofey was sent into a frenzy when Thompson scored a mark, allowing Donegal to extend their advantage to five points. The team capped off the match demonstrating a great sense of purpose.
McGuinness believed that their celebrations as the Ulster champions fuelled their energetic performance on the field. He teased that this may not be the last we see of their victorious form.
The roster of Donegal players included S Patton, E Gallagher, B McCole and C Moore amongst others. Notable substitutions were seen with O Doherty for Ó Baoill (45th minute); J Brennan for McBrearty (55th), and A Doherty for N O’Donnell (61st). Gallagher was replaced by J Mac Ceallabhui at the 66 minute mark, followed by D Mac Giolla Bhride for Gallen three minutes later.
In the Tyrone lineup, N Morgan (0-1, 0-1f); N Devlin (0-1), P Hampsey, M McKernan; B Cullen, M Donnelly (0-1), K McGeary (0-3); B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; C Daly, M O’Neill, S O’Donnell (0-1); D McCurry (0-4, 0-1m, 0-1f), D Canavan (0-3, 03f), R Canavan all showed up. Substitutions included J Oguz and C Quinn who came in for R Canavan and Cullen respectively at half-time; C McShane substituted McCurry at 51 minutes into the match; P Harte replaced Kilpatrick at 58 minutes; L McGarrity came on for O’Neill at 66 minutes. The referee was Joe McQuillan from Cavan.