Gallen helps keep Donegal unbeaten as they swat away Tyrone challenge

Jim McGuinness's side will travel south to Cork next Saturday with another pep in their step after seeing off their neighbours with ease

SLIP'N'SLIDE: Michael McKernan of Tyrone in action against Jason McGee of Donegal during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1 match between Donegal and Tyrone at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey, Donegal. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Donegal 0-21 Tyrone 0-14 

Ulster champions Donegal will make the trip to Cork for next Saturday’s second group game in a promising position after outgunning Tyrone in Ballybofey.

Oisin Gallen struck seven points for the team managed by Jim McGuinness as they overcame their neighbours for the second time in four weeks and remain the only team in the country who haven’t lost in league of championship. A high-scoring first half left a differential of just a single kick - the last one 0 which came from Gallen after a brilliant run from deep by Ciaran Moore. It made for a slender Donegal lead of 0-10 to 0-9 and a well-merited break.

The margins, typically, were thin, with Darragh Canavan and Darren McCutry putting the visitors two in front before the hosts got motoring. By the 20th minute, Donegal were 0-6 to 0-3 ahead, with six different scorers - all from play.

Both fashioned goal chances. Canavan, going like a train, played a give-and-go with Conn Kilpatrick before a blistering shot flew just wide of Shaun Patton’s goal. Then, at the other end, Ciaran Thompson was just off the mark at the end of the move that involved Niall O’Donnell and Jason McGee.

In fact, Donegal weren’t awarded a free of any sort until 23 minutes in and Kieran McGeary’s back-to-back scores took Tyrone back to just one down, 0-7 to 0-6. Gallen, though, put over Donegal’s last three points of the opening 35 minutes, with Sean O’Donnell and then McCurry hitting Tyrone’s last two.

Ryan McHugh and Gallen's scores at the start of the second half put Donegal 0-12 to 0-9 up and on 49 minutes Jason McGee pushed the advantage to four for the the first time. It soon moved to five thanks to Ciaran Thompson’s mark, 0-16 to 0-11, by the three-quarter-mark.

Canavan and McGeary’s third of the evening sliced those arrears down to three, with the excitement among the 16,607 crowd reaching fever pitch. Cathal McShane, from a brilliant Niall Morgan pass, got in around the back for Tyrone only to slice wide when faced with Patton from an angle.

Donegal, from there, got home with the impressive Peadar Mogan hitting his third from play, Odhran Doherty’s stylish effort with the outside of the boot and Shane O’Donnell and Michael Langan’s cherries on top.

Scorers for Donegal: O Gallen 0-7, 5f; P Mogan 0-3; J McGee 0-2; P McBrearty 0-2, 1f; C Thompson 0-2, 1m; E Gallagher, R McHugh, O Doherty, S O’Donnell and M Langan 0-1.

Scorers for Tyrone: D McCurry 0-4, 1f, 1m; D Canavan 0-3, 3f; K McGeary 0-3; N Morgan 0-1, 1f; M Donnelly, S O’Donnell and N Devlin 0-1.

Donegal: S Patton; E Gallagher, B McCole, C Moore; R McHugh, C McGonagle, P Mogan; J McGee, M Langan; S O'Donnell, C Thompson, D Ó Baoill; P McBrearty, O Gallen, N O'Donnell. Subs: O Doherty for Ó Baoill (45), J Brennan for McBrearty (55); J Mac Ceallbhuí for Gallagher (66), D Mac Giolla Bhríde for Gallen (69) 

Tyrone: N Morgan; N Devlin, P Hampsey, M McKernan; B Cullen, M Donnelly, K McGeary; Brian Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; C Daly, M O'Neill, S O'Donnell; D McCurry, D Canavan, R Canavan. Subs: J Oguz and C Quinn for R Canavan and Cullen (half-time), C McShane for McCurry (51), P Harte for Kilpatrick (58), A Doherty for N O’Donnell (62); L McGarrity for O’Neill (66) 

Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan).