Tyrone 1-13 Donegal 0-12
ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS Donegal finished with 13 men in a dramatic Ulster championship dress rehearsal at Healy Park, Omagh, this afternoon.
Mickey Harte’s Red Hands laid down a significant marker with a four-point victory as Michael Murphy and Neil Gallagher saw red in a dramatic encounter.
Murphy was harshly sent off before half-time and Gallagher walked late on, both for second bookable offences.
Goalkeeper Niall Morgan was an unlikely hero for Tyrone as the netminder stopped a Murphy penalty and added three points from frees for good measure. Gifted forward Stephen O’Neill scored Tyrone’s crucial goal early in the second half of a game that was pockmarked by off the ball incidents and general needle.
Words were exchanged between players from both sides as they left the pitch and the summer showdown between the sides should be a spicy affair.
For now, Tyrone can bask in the warm afterglow of a third successive League victory.
They led by two points approaching half-time before Morgan stepped up to the mark with that crucial penalty save. Shortly after Murphy saw his effort brilliantly saved, the 2012 All-Ireland winning captain was dismissed following a melee.
Murphy’s absence was keenly felt in the second half and Gallagher had an early shower too when he picked up a second yellow card three minutes from time. Morgan capped his dream day with a stunning late save to deny Colm McFadden as Donegal pressed forward in search of an elusive goal.
Tyrone scorers: S O’Neill 1-2 (0-1f), N Morgan 0-3 (2f, 1 ’45), P Harte (2f), S Cavanagh 0-2 each, R McKenna, Joe McMahon, R McNamee, Mark Donnelly 0-1 each.
Donegal scorers: C McFadden 0-5 (5f), M Murphy 0-3 (1 ’45), L McLoone, A Thompson, R Wherity, P McBrearty 0-1 each.
Tyrone: N Morgan, A McCrory, C Clarke, Justin McMahon, R McKenna, Joe McMahon, R McNamee, M Murphy, C Cavanagh, P McNeice, P Harte, Mattie Donnelly, C McAliskey, S O’Neill, Mark Donnelly. Subs: M Penrose for McAliskey (30), A Cassidy for Murphy (h-t), C Cavanagh for McNeice (55), C Gormley for Justin McMahon (62), R O’Neill for Mark Donnelly (62)
Donegal: P Durcan, P McGrath, N McGee, E McGee, A Thompson, F McGlynn, D Walsh, M McHugh, L McLoone, R Bradley, C McFadden, M Murphy, P McBrearty. Subs: P McBrearty for McElhinney (h-t), R McHugh for Bradley (47), D Molloy for M McHugh (56)
Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).
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