Tyrone win Ulster SFC

Tyrone 2-15 Donegal 1-7

Captain Fantastic Brian Dooher inspired Tyrone to victory over NFL champions Donegal in a surprisingly one-sided Ulster SFC semi-final at Clones.

Dooher was back to his brilliant best, foraging and inspiring, and capping a memorable display with five superb points from play

For Tir Chonaill, it was a painful crash back down to earth, their first defeat of the season in league or championship a massive 11 points reversal.

Dooher and Owen Mulligan had shot Tyrone into a two points lead when Colm McFadden had a penalty saved by John Devine.

Two minutes later, however, Donegal did get in for a goal, Rory Kavanagh crossing from the left for the inrushing Kevin Cassidy to finish from close range.

But Tyrone held their opponents scoreless for 26 minutes.Dooher’s second, followed by two from Mulligan and a marauding Harte effort had the Red Hands back in front by the 26th minute, and when corner back Neil McGee was caught handling the ball on the ground, Colm McCullagh slotted home a penalty a minute before the break.

A Brendan Devenney free broke Donegal’s scoring duck in stoppage time, but it was Tyrone in the driving seat at the break, with a 1-6 to 1-3 advantage.

And it was vintage Tyrone all the way to the finish, with Dooher delivering the performance of his life, and kicking five beautiful scores in all, including his side’s first two of the second period.

By the beginning of the final quarter, they had amassed a 1-11 to 1-5 advantage, and any lingering doubt about the outcome was washed away by Raymond Mulgrew’s cool 52nd minute finish to the roof of the net.

Donegal frustration boiled over when McFadden received a straight red card for lashing out at Dooher, and they finished the game with 13 men when substitute Kevin McMenamin picked up a second yellow.

A further boost for the Red Hands came in the form of the introduction of the injury-tormented Stephen O’Neill, who weighed in with a couple of neat points.

Tyrone: J Devine, R McMenamin, C McGinley, D Carlin, D Harte (0-1), C Gormley, P Jordan, K Hughes (0-1), S Cavanagh (0-1), B Dooher (0-5), R Mulgrew (1-1), E McGinley, C McCullagh (1-1, 1 pen, 1 free), C Cavanagh, O Mulligan (0-3, 2 frees).

Subs: J McMahon for C McGinley, S O’Neill (0-2) for E McGinley, R Mellon for Dooher

Donegal: P Durcan, N McGee, P Campbell, K Lacey, P McGonigley, B Monaghan, E McGee, N Gallagher, K Cassidy (1-0), B Roper, C Bonner (0-2), R Kavanagh (0-1), C McFadden (0-1), B Devenny (0-2, 1 free), A Sweeney.

Subs: R Bradley for Roper, K McMenamin (0-1) for Sweeney, N McCreadie for Campbell, S McDermott for Bonner

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath)