In a tensions filled Ulster SFC semi-final, Donegal managed a tight win over Tyrone with a score of 0-18 to 0-16 after extra time in the jam-packed Celtic Park. The re-entrance of Patrick McBrearty for added time became crucial for Donegal’s triumph. Having come off at the half-time breather, McBrearty was brought back onto the field as the game ended in a tie at 0-14 each. The player from Kilcar managed to secure two vital points in additional time leading to an Ulster final match up with Armagh in two weeks.
Tyrone had led the game for the most part driven by the ‘man of the match’, Mattie Donnelly, amidst a crowd of over 14,000. They lost their early advantage to Donegal when Darragh Canavan scored making it 0-2 to Tyrone’s 0-1. Although Donegal managed to tie the game seven times, they didn’t get a lead until the first few minutes of the extra time.
In the dying minutes of normal time, a quick run by Ryan McHugh resulted in Brendan McCole’s, Donegal’s full back, possession of the ball and a point, leading the game into extra time. The re-entrance of McBrearty and Daire Ó Baoill at the start of the added time brought a significant change to the play against Tyrone, who were physically spent having completed extra time against Cavan a week ago.
Jeaic McKelvey, Shane O’Donnell and McBrearty scored, leading Donegal to a score of 0-17 to Tyrone’s 0-16 at the break in the extra time. Disappointingly, Tyrone didn’t score in the second half of extra-time. Despite missing a potential score in the 83rd minute, McBrearty reaffirmed his position by hitting a successful left-footed attempt, securing a two-point lead for Donegal, one they maintained until the final blow of the whistle.
This victory concluded a tense day in Derry and marked Jim McGuinness’s successful return to the managerial role of his home county, as he led Donegal to the Ulster final.
Just before the match commenced, the news of Shaun Patton not being the first-choice goalkeeper was viewed as a setback to Donegal’s prospects. Having effectively dismantled Derry at the identical location using his kick-outs during the quarter-final, his absence suggested a weak point in Donegal’s armour.
After being forced to retire from the match against Derry due to a quad injury during the second half, Patton was replaced by Gavin Mulreany, who also served as the starting goalkeeper against Tyrone. Seán O’Donnell took the initiative to mark McHugh from the beginning of the game, with Tyrone expressly aiming to counter the Kilcar native and his capacity to energise Donegal’s gameplay.
Nonetheless, Donegal had a separate strategy concerning McHugh, employing him as a sweeper whenever Tyrone had control of the ball, protecting Darragh Canavan, who also had Brendan McCole as a backup. McHugh’s involvement in the game restricted Tyrone’s ability to pass the ball to their most valuable attacker, but Donnelly managed to dictate the rhythm of the game from midfield.
The initial half was largely dominated by Tyrone’s gameplay, with Brian Dooher’s team adopting a slower pace and defensive position when out of possession. They were also retreating during Donegal’s kickouts, allowing Mulreany to swiftly pass to free defenders in his full-back line.
During the first half, Donegal managed to hold on to their restarts with a 100 per cent success rate, with just one of the nine kick-outs being a long one. It seems Niall Morgan took a lesson from the mistakes made against Derry the previous weekend and positioned himself around his own goal during Donegal’s kick-outs.
At half-time, Tyrone had a lead of 0-8 to 0-5, but Donegal managed to turn the tide post-break, with Morgan’s five kick-outs being overturned. Nevertheless, thanks to Donnelly’s strategic gameplay, Tyrone clung on to a slender lead as injury-time was called, until McCole’s last-minute point forced extra-time. The return of McBrearty played a pivotal role in pulling Donegal back into contention for the summer tournament.
In Donegal, the team included Gavin Mulreany, Mark Curran, Brendan McCole who scored 0-1, Ciarán Moore, Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle who scored 0-1, Peadar Mogan who scored 0-1, and Jason McGee who netted 0-2. The line-up also featured Michael Langan, Shane O’Donnell who scored 0-1, Ciarán Thompson who netted 0-2 (1f), Daire Ó Baoill who landed 0-2, Patrick McBrearty who scored 0-2 (1f), Oisín Gallen who scored 0-3 (3f), and Niall O’Donnell who netted 0-2. The substitutes included Aaron Doherty, Jamie Brennan, Jeaic McKelvey (0-1), among others.
On the side of Tyrone, the team consisted of Niall Morgan who scored 0-3 (3f), Conal Devlin, Pádraig Hampsey, Michael McKernan who scored 0-2, Seán O’Donnell who netted 0-1, Matthew Donnelly who scored 0-1, and Niall Devlin. The roster also included Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick, Ciarán Daly who scored 0-2, Kieran McGeary, Michael O’Neill, Darren McCurry who netted 0-2 (2f), Darragh Canavan who scored 0-4 (1f, 1m), and Cathal McShane who achieved 0-1. Substitutes for the game included Aidan Clarke, Ben Cullen, Ruairí Canavan, among others. The referee for the match was Brendan Cawley from Kildare.