Donegal make Tyrone pay for O'Neill dismissal

GOING CLOSE: Tyrone's Conor McKenna has a goal chance against Donegal keeper Shaun Patton at Healy Park in Omagh, Tyrone. 

Allianz Football League Division 1 North

Tyrone 0-16 

Donegal 0-18 

The new model Tyrone produced a result sickeningly familiar for them, two points adrift by the end after the loss of Michael O'Neill to two yellow cards left them pushing a boulder uphill against their north-west rivals.

Donegal looked more assured in gaining their scores while Tyrone needed to work very hard, hitting 12 wides in total to Donegal's three. The Red Hands had debutant Paul Donaghy announcing himself to the nation with a ten point haul, seriously accurate from dead ball and in open play, his two second half points in particular things of beauty.

Tyrone will clearly favour a more direct approach this year, raining kicked passes in towards the two full forwards of Richie Donnelly and Donaghy, with Conor McKenna in support a lot of time, but just not executing his shooting. That will come in time, of course.

It was as if both teams took a break from the cat and mouse games of old, the scores 0-10 each by the break. While Tyrone were aiming to kick long ball, Donegal persisted with their flowing hand-passing moves to great success as their opponents were drawn into making a series of cheap fouls, easily converted by Patrick McBrearty and Michael Murphy.

Donegal took advantage of the numerical advantage in the third quarter to outscore Tyrone 0-4 to 0-1. From then on, they struck from home with a greater purpose.

Scorers for Tyrone: P Donaghy 0-10 (5 frees, 1x'65'), M Bradley, M O'Neill, C Meyler, K McGeary 0-1 each, N Morgan 0-1 (1x'45') 

Scorers for Donegal: M Murphy 0-6 (3 frees), P McBrearty 0-4 (2 frees), J Brennan, C Thompson 0-2 each, C McGonagle, N O'Donnell, M Langan, P Mogan 0-1 each 

TYRONE: N Morgan; R Brennan, R McNamee, P Hampsey; M Cassidy, P Harte, M O'Neill; F Burns, B Kennedy; P Donaghy, M Donnelly, C Meyler; K McGeary, C McKenna, R Donnelly.

Subs: M McKernan for McNamee (11m), C Munroe for Kennedy (HT), M Bradley for R Donnelly (42m), N Sludden for Cassidy (52m), D Canavan for McGeary (67m) Red card: O'Neill (40m)

DONEGAL: S Patton; C Ward, N McGee, B McCole; R McHugh, P Brennan, P Mogan; H McFadden, C McGonagle; N O'Donnell, C Thompson, M Langan; P McBrearty, M Murphy, J Brennan

Subs: J McGee for McFadden (11-14m, Blood sub), D O'Baoill for McFadden (HT), E McHugh for Ward (45m), O Gallen for J Brennan (60m), A McClean for P Brennan (62m), E O'Donnell for Langan (67m), E Doherty for O'Donnell (74m) 

Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)