Donegal beat Tyrone after extra-time in gripping semi-final

Donegal set up an Ulster decider with Armagh after outlasting Tyrone with a 0-18 to 0-16 win after extra-time in a gripping semi-final at Celtic Park.

Tyrone came into the game as underdogs but led for much of the contest before Donegal forced extra-time through Brendan McCole's point deep in stoppage time.

Donegal edged ahead early in extra-time, and while Mattie Donnelly and Michael Kernan turned the game back in Tyrone's favour, Jim McGuinness' side hit the last three points to secure passage back to the provincial decider.

Armagh, who saw off Down in Saturday's first semi-final, will be waiting for Donegal in the 12 May showpiece.

While the Tir Chonaill men have a win and a draw from their two meetings with the Orchard men this year, they will carry the heavy expectations of their county as they bid for a first Anglo-Celt Cup since 2019.

Having scored four goals to stun holders Derry last week, Donegal had a spring in their step as they returned to Celtic Park, but here they faced a well-drilled and patient Tyrone outfit determined to shut off the space the Oak Leafers had so readily offered up.

Celtic Park was again awash with green and gold, but it took a while for the crowd to come alive during what was a low-key first half, which ended with Tyrone leading by three.

While not as pulse-pounding as Donegal's win over Derry, it was an absorbing dust-up between two of the province's giants in front of 14,714 fans at Celtic Park.

In the opening 10 minutes, Niall O'Donnell opened Donegal's account before Darren McCurry and Darragh Canavan frees for Tyrone, who welcomed Conn Kilpatrick back into midfield after two months out.

After Oisin Gallen and McCurry exchanged frees, Daire O Baoill - Donegal's two-goal hero against Derry last week - injected some real quality into proceedings with a fine solo score from play to level it at three points apiece.

Tyrone - who conceded the Donegal kick-out in stark contrast to Derry last week - managed to edge ahead from there, though.

Despite having slogged through extra-time against Cavan the day after Donegal's win over Derry, the Red Hands looked sharper in attack in the first half, as evidenced by Ciaran Daly's superb score off the outside of his right boot after being picked out by Niall Morgan.

That was after Sean O'Donnell had scored to nudge Tyrone ahead, and while a Gallen free and Ciaran Thompson's beauty from distance brought Donegal level once more, Tyrone gave themselves a platform at the break with the last three scores of the half.

The last of those was a striking demonstration of how Tyrone can build from Morgan's kick-outs, with the Edendork club-man finding Brian Kennedy with a booming kick. From there, Tyrone moved it through the hands before Cathal McShane fired over.

Morgan, however, breathed a huge sigh of relief just moments later when, after hitting a kick-out straight to Shane O'Donnell, Conall Devlin produced a brilliant block to stop a Gallen score.

Jim McGuinness responded at the break by bringing off his captain Patrick McBrearty, who struggled to make an impact during the first half.

It paid dividends in the early part of the half, too, as Donegal scored four of the first five points to draw level, with Daire O Baoill levelling at 0-9 apiece before he was withdrawn for Jamie Brennan.

After another Morgan free put Tyrone back in front, the impressive Ciaran Daly pounced on a poor kick-out by Gavin Mulreany - who started in place of the injured Shaun Patton - to score before Canavan's effort suddenly put the Red Hands three ahead.

But while the pace was at times pedestrian, it was a game littered with high-quality scores as Paedar Mogan and Caolan McGonagle efforts bringing Donegal back to within one before Gallen's free restored parity.

After McKernan and Thompson exchanged scores, Canavan's third score of the afternoon put Tyrone ahead in the closing stages before McCole rescued Donegal deep in injury time after Ryan McHugh's ball into the square caused chaos in the Red Hand defence.

In extra-time, there was a marked drop-off in Tyrone's energy as players cramped up and began to show signs of weariness after another intense battle in the sun.

And while Donnelly and McKernan gave the Red Hands something to hold on to after cancelling out Jeaic Mac Ceallbhui's score, it was Donegal who found stronger reserves of energy to drive themselves over the line.

Trailing by a point and with the minutes ticking away, Donegal still found the scores despite missing the boot of goalkeeper Shaun Patton, whose injury meant Gavin Mulreany started.

While there was no rapid transition or score off a long Patton kick-out, two points from the educated left boot of McBrearty - who was reintroduced for extra-time - either side of a Shane O'Donnell effort sealed Donegal's place in the Ulster final.

Tyrone produced one last push, but as their players fell to their knees in devastation, Donegal fans flooded the pitch to toast another big win - one that puts McGuinness within touching distance of completing a remarkable turnaround of his county's fortunes.

Donegal: G Mulreany; M Curran, B McCole (0-1), C Moore; R McHugh, C McGonagle (0-1), P Mogan (0-1); J McGee (0-2), M Langan; S O’Donnell (0-1), C Thompson (0-2, 1f), D O Baoill (0-2); P McBrearty (0-2, 1f), O Gallen (0-3, 3f), N O’Donnell (0-2).

Subs: A Doherty for McBrearty (half-time), J Brennan for O Baoill (48), J Mac Ceallbhui (0-1) for Curran (72), McBrearty for Doherty (72), O Baoill for Moore (72), Doherty for Gallen (81).

Tyrone: N Morgan (0-3, 3f); C Devlin, P Hampsey, M McKernan (0-2); S O’Donnell (0-1), M Donnelly (0-1), N Devlin; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; C Daly (0-2), K McGeary, M O’Neill; D McCurry (0-2, 2f), D Canavan (0-4, 1f, 1 mark), C McShane (0-1).

Subs: A Clarke for C Devlin (40), B Cullen for McGeary (62), R Canavan for O’Neill (74), A Donaghy for McShane (88), C Donnelly for Kilpatrick (89).

Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).

Jim McGuinness, Donegal manager: "We had to battle hard. Tyrone came with a very clear game plan and they made us work hard for it. There was a lot of soul-searching to be done at half time.

"The longer the game went on the more we were able to wrestle control, and we had some very good, composed play.

"This is why we love the Ulster Championship, it's so competitive and every team that enters it believes they can win it.

"That was a huge battle today. We'll enjoy it today and then our attentions will then turn to Armagh, because that will be a very tough battle as well."