Donegal's 14 men topple All-Ireland champs
Donegal 1-11 Tyrone 0-9
The new golden boy of Gaelic football, Colm McFadden, torpedoed the All-Ireland champions with a magical display of finishing.
Donegal's 14 men sent Tyrone crashing out of the Ulster Football Championship with a stylish and superbly effective display of controlled football at Clones.
And 20-year-old McFadden almost single-handedly sent Tyrone crashing out of the provincial series and into the dreaded Qualifiers.
A goal and seven points from the sweet left foot of the St Michael's Dunfanaghy clubman set Brian McEniff's side up for a sensational victory, but there were stars everywhere in his courageous Tir Chonaill side.
Brendan Boyle and substitute Stephen McDermott ruled the midfield region, Brian Roper and Michael Hegarty ran and harried all afternoon, and Damien Diver and Barry Monaghan galvanised a well organised defence.
And all that after the dismissal, for a second bookable offence, of corner back Niall McCready just before half-time.
Now it's Donegal, and not hot favourites Tyrone, who go through to meet Armagh in the Ulster final at Croke Park on July 11.
A tense opening 10 minutes failed to produce a score, with packed defences very much on top in a tactical battle of wits.
Owen Mulligan curled over the opening point, with Brian McGuigan extending the advantage with a replica from wide on the right.
Shane Sweeney, a late replacement for Gavin Devlin, was succeeding in his brief, to interpret and stifle the creative instincts of Donegal playmaker Michael Hegarty
It took Donegal 23 minutes to produce their first score, a Colm McFadden free, and a further 15 to manage a score from play.
But they never allowed the All-Ireland champions to go more than two points clear.
Mark Harte angled over a point in response to McFadden's long range effort, but Adrian Sweeney converted another placed ball.
Brian McEniff's side suffered a blow in the 34th minute when defender Niall McCready picked up two yellow cards in the space of a minute following a prolonged tussle with Mulligan.
Mulligan tapped over the resultant free, but a wonderful Brian Roper point narrowed the gap again, and at the halfway stage the All-Ireland champions led by just a point, 0-4 to 0-3.
Adrian Sweeney dropped into a withdrawn attacking role on the restart, and with Hegarty beginning to find more space and possession, not to mention the fact that Boyle and McDermott were winning everything in midfield, Donegal suddenly slipped into top gear.
McFadden, with four frees, Christy Toye and Monaghan swept over points to open up a 0-9 to 0-4 lead, and in the 18th minute of the half came the decisive goal.
Toye made a scything run along the right, passing inside to McFadden, who sent a screamer low past John Devine for a seven points lead.
Tyrone had captured the hearts of the GAA public last season with a series of memorable comebacks, and now they needed to dig deep once again.
The anticipated return of Peter Canavan for his first game in nine months never materialised, and it emerged later that he had picked up a back injury in a club game.
Without his presence and leadership, there was no spark, no Tyrone revival.
Joe McMahon and Stephen O'Neill did kick a couple of points, but this was Donegal's day, with McFadden appropriately signing off with his side's 11th and final point with a pinpoint free kick.
Donegal: P Durcan, N McCready, R Sweeney, D Diver, E McGee, B Monaghan (0-1), S Carr, B Boyle, B McLaughlin, C Toye (0-1), M Hegarty, B Roper (0-1), C McFadden (1-7, 5f, 1 '45'), A Sweeney (0-1, f), B Devenney.
Subs: S McDermott for McLaughlin, S Cassidy for Devenney, J Gildea for Toye
Tyrone: J Devine, R McMenamin, C Gormley, C Gourley, J McMahon, S Sweeney, P Jordan, G Cavlan. S Cavanagh, B Dooher, B McGuigan (0-1), S O'Neill (0-2, 1f), M Harte (0-1), K Hughes, O Mulligan (0-3, 2f).
Subs: E McGinley for Harte,M McGee for Gourley, C Holmes for Hughes.
Referee: G Kinneavey (Roscommon)
