In Round 1 of the All-Ireland SFC, Donegal triumphed over Tyrone in a thrilling 0-21 to 0-14 victory. This exhilarating match held in Ballybofey on Saturday evening had Donegal fans on edge for the entirety, particularly following their recent nail-biting Ulster semi-final against Tyrone and their Ulster final victory against Armagh. Despite the tense atmosphere, Donegal rose to the challenge and emerged victorious in both instances.
Jim McGuinness’s leadership heralded a revitalised Donegal squad that defeated Tyrone by a comfortable seven points, delighting their home crowd of 16,607. Local player Oisín Gallen, along with Peadar Mogan, was pivotal to this win, contributing seven and three points respectively. By the second half, Donegal capitalised on this momentum, outscoring Tyrone 0-11 to 0-5.
Although Tyrone trailed by merely three points with 12 minutes remaining, Donegal’s tactical play ensured that their victory wasn’t left up to chance. In contrast, Tyrone left seven attempts wide in the first half, with Darragh Canavan coming incredibly close on the 19th minute.
Despite Tyrone’s effort, Donegal established a smooth three-point lead, further fortified by Patrick McBrearty’s score off a swift counter-attack. While McBrearty initially remained on the bench during the Ulster final, his early involvement in this match marked another significant step for Donegal.
The game wasn’t without its heart-stopping moments; Ciarán Thompson’s 30th-minute attempt on goal narrowly missed, hitting a post. However, from the very onset, Donegal showcased their determination, with Daire Ó Baoill nearly scoring an early goal, only to be blocked by Ben Cullen. Donegal’s first free kick came 23 minutes into the game, successfully taken by McBrearty following an obstruction on Ó Baoill.
In the late stages of the first half, Gallen successfully converted a free, allowing Donegal to head into half-time with a 0-10 to 0-9 lead. This was just after McCurry had drawn the Red Hands level with two points.
As the second half commenced, both Ryan McHugh and Gallen expanded Donegal’s lead, with only a free from Niall Morgan added to Tyrone’s score in the 15 minutes following the interval. Jason McGee’s 49th minute landing saw Donegal increase the gap to four points – standing at 0-14 to 0-10 – for the first instance in the match.
The crowd at Ballybofey erupted as Thompson claimed a mark and with it, a five-point advantage for Donegal. Tyrone remained within sight thanks to the efforts of Darragh Canavan and Kieran McGeary. However, a robust finish from Donegal meant they topped off the confrontation with a seven-point win.
Starting roster for Donegal included S Patton, E Gallagher (scored 0-1), B McCole, C Moore, R McHugh (scored 0-1), C McGonagle, P Mogan (scored 0-3), J McGee (scored 0-2), M Langan (scored 0-1), S O’Donnell (scored 0-1), C Thompson (scored 0-2), D Ó Baoill, P McBrearty (scored 0-2), O Gallen (scored 0-7), and N O’Donnell. With notable substitutions being O Doherty, J Brennan, A Doherty, J Mac Ceallabhui, and D Mac Giolla Bhride.
The Tyrone line-up consisted of N Morgan (scored 0-1), N Devlin (scored 0-1), P Hampsey, M McKernan, B Cullen, M Donnelly (scored0-1), K McGeary (scored 0-3), B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick, C Daly, M O’Neill, S O’Donnell (scored 0-1), D McCurry (scored 0-4), D Canavan (scored 0-3), and R Canavan.
Substitutions: J Oguz swapped in for R Canavan, C Quinn replaced Cullen, both at half-time; C McShane took McCurry’s place at 51st minute; P Harte came in for Kilpatrick in the 58th minute; then L McGarrity was introduced for O’Neill at the 66th minute.
The match was officiated by Joe McQuillan from Cavan.