Tyrone fall again to tormentors Donegal

Donegal 1-13 Tyrone 1-10: It wasn’t fitting that Donegal won nor was it that Tyrone lost. But there was no denying the appropriateness of Michael Murphy scoring the last three points of the game after enduring a dog of an afternoon.

Justin McMahon will be praised in his own county for keeping Donegal’s leader scoreless from play. Murphy’s deep-lying role in the first half certainly helped but he didn’t silence his marker so much as gag him.

Murphy knows what it’s like to be on the wrong side of referees. He was black-carded against Tyrone in the league and picked up a cumulative one-game ban but here he was more sinned against than a sinner. McMahon’s methods were murky and the Donegal crowd knew it. When he was eventually booked in the 63rd minute, the 17,435 Ballybofey attendance bellowed an ironic cheer.