Eternal optimist Mickey Harte saw this one coming

After so much criticism, scrutiny, and negativity, this was Tyrone’s day of deliverance with the team unleashing possibly its best and most significant victory of this decade at Clones yesterday.

The execution of the game-plan was at times masterful, the discipline of their tackling and accuracy of their long-range shooting effectively won the game in a memorable 15-minute spell before half-time, when they scored seven unanswered points.

It was the most ruthless and harshest of reality checks for Donegal. The youthful promise they showed in the spring was ultimately scant preparation for this step up in class on a day when everything clicked for Tyrone.