16.43 – 12 minutes, Donegal 0-2 Tyrone 0-2: Frank McGlynn beginning to get forward as expected, he’s having a great season. But Tyrone not backing down in defence as the last couple of Donegal attacks come to little thanks to severe pressure. After openness early, game is now as expected with no room and no pressure-free shots available to either side.

17.05 – 34 minutes, Donegal 0-5 Tyrone 0-5: Conor Clarke has been excellent. Not only has he controlled an area inhabited by Colm McFadden and Michael Murphy but he’s scored and now his sidestep sets up Sean O’Neill for a score. Back come Donegal though and they win a free off Ryan McMenamin close to goal. Colm McFadden opens his account from the deadball.

17.11 – Half-time, Donegal 0-5 Tyrone 0-6: Martin Penrose finishes the scoring for the half. Now we can draw breath as that was everything we expected it to be. It was energy-sapping, end-to-end with full-backs scoring, corner-backs play-making and everyone else covering ground at both ends of the field.  It’s largely defensive and hugely tactical but the energy being used out there to just achieve the basics is phenomenal. Tyrone may lead but it’s hard to know who will be the happier. Mickey Harte’s side have been excellent but kicked some frees wide and face the breeze in the second half, but that may not be as important as in more traditional games as the ball is being carried in the hand mostly here. As for Donegal, they need to get more ball quickly into the inside-forward line and hope Tyrone tire because the defence from the Red Hand county has been superb and largely disciplined. We’ll be back after the break and can’t wait because this is top stuff.

17.39 – 46 minutes, Donegal 0-8 Tyrone 0-8: And we slip back into the chess-game that surmised the majority of the first half. Skies have opened here as Colm McFadden sells a free to Conor Gormley who buys. Needless tackle from the Tyrone man and McFadden strikes it over.

17.44 – 50 minutes, Donegal 0-9 Tyrone 0-8: There’s the lead for Donegal for the first time since Mark McHugh hit the day’s opener. Ryan Bradley is given the score but the work was done by Colm McFadden. He’s getting into this game more and more and beginning to take on a key role. Ronan McNabb is on for Tyrone, Owen Mulligan is gone. No surprise as Mulligan has been throwing dummies but while it’s beaten the first man, the time taken to execute it has seen him bottled up by others. This game doesn’t suit his style.

17.48 – 54 minutes, Donegal 0-9 Tyrone 0-8: Tyrone finding it harder and harder to get positive yards as this game goes on. It could be tiredness but Donegal have definitely upped the intensity since the first half as well and that along with the showing of McFadden has them ahead.