Donegal have won their first Allianz NFL Division 1 title, beating Mayo by 0-13 to 0-10 in a tight tussle this afternoon at Croke Park.
Four Conor Mortimer frees helped Mayo level the game at 0-09 apiece, but substitutes Rory Kavanagh, Eamonn McGee and Adrian Sweeney all rifled over in injury-time to make it Donegal's day.
29,463 spectators watched the Division 1A table-toppers edge the first half 0-07 to 0-05, with man-of-the-match Brian Roper kicking three points.
Mayo were back on terms by the 54th minute, helped by the introduction of Kevin O'Neill, but Ger Brady and Andy Moran were left ruing missed goal chances in each half.
Donegal manager Brian McIver sprung two surprises before the throw-in as Paddy McConagley and Brendan Devenney were both included in the team line-up, despite fears over their respective leg and knee injuries.
Mayo boss John O’Mahony also altered his original selection, with team captain Kevin O'Neill's calf injury keeping him on the bench, and veteran James Nallen getting a late call-up.
In what was Donegal's fifth league final appearance since 1993, two crisp points from Roper got them up and running, but their semi-final hero Colm McFadden did miss an early goal opportunity.
The St Michael’s clubman had a quick sight of goal but Keith Higgins did well to block the shot away. Mortimer and Michael Hegarty registered wides before McFadden popped a point over David Clarke’s crossbar with a lovely, languid strike.
Donegal went 0-04 to 0-00 ahead when Devenney held off the challenge of Higgins to tee up a point for advanced midfielder Kevin Cassidy.
With Mayo's defence struggling to cope with the Ulster side's two-man full-forward line, their attack was faring little better, but Mortimer did belatedly open their account with a 14th-minute point, taking a pass from the workmanlike Moran.
Mortimer rammed over a right-footed free to cut the gap to two points and that is how it stayed up until half-time as Mayo kept in touch, with midfielder Pat Harte making his mark with two points from play.
After McFadden and Alan Dillon (free) had traded scores, Harte left-footed over in plenty of space to put a single point between the sides, but Roper's third point and a clever effort from Ciaran Bonner, who was set up by Christy Toye and McFadden, kept Donegal ahead.
Mayo might have been in front at the break as, 29 minutes in, Ger Brady raced through after gathering a breaking ball and slammed a shot goal-bound but Donegal goalkeeper Paul Durcan managed to parry the ball away.
McIver’s decision to start Devenney looked to have backfired when the St Eunan's clubman was called ashore after only 30 minutes' play, but he did have a hand in a couple of the Northerners' early scores.
Indiscipline threatened to scupper Donegal’s title bid on the restart as between the 39th and 54th minutes Mortimer was allowed to slot over a number of frees at the Hill 16 end.
Mayo, bolstered by O'Neill's introduction and cameos from Brady and Harte, were coming more and more into the game, and the Donegal faithful were thankful when Bonner struck a point on the run after a brilliantly timed pass from McConagley.
McFadden had opened the second half scoring, nudging his side 0-08 to 0-05 ahead, but Mortimer’s slick free-taking brought the sides level for the first time, with just 16 minutes remaining.
A towering, left-footed point from Devenney's replacement Kevin McMenamin was the ideal response, and although Moran, who had a goal on his mind, levelled again at 0-10 apiece, Donegal decisively took their scores in injury-time to continue their run of only having lost one league match since the start of 2006 – today's encounter was their 19th NFL tie since then.
After an initial wide from Dillon and a lengthy injury stoppage for Bonner, who had to be stretchered off, Donegal powered back up the field for a succession of fine points, reeled off by Kavanagh, McGee and McFadden, to crown what was their first senior national title since their All-Ireland success in 1992.
Donegal: P Durcan; N McGee, P Campbell, K Lacey; P McConagley, B Monaghan, B Dunnion; N Gallagher, K Cassidy (0-01); C Bonner (0-02), B Roper (0-03), C Toye; B Devenney, C McFadden (0-03, 1f, 1 '45), M Hegarty.
Subs used: K McMenamin (0-01) for B Devenney (30 mins), E McGee (0-01) for N McGee, T Donoghue for McConagley (both 47), R Kavanagh (0-01) for Gallagher (59), A Sweeney (0-01) for Bonner (65).
Mayo: D Clarke; K Higgins, J Kilcullen, L O'Malley; E Devenney, BJ Padden, P Gardiner; P Harte (0-02), J Nallen; D Heaney, A Dillon (0-01, 1f), A Moran (0-01); M Conroy, G Brady, C Mortimer (0-06, 5f).
Subs used: A Higgins for Kilcullen (19 mins), K O'Neill for Conroy (42), T Howley for A Higgins, A Kilcoyne for Dillon (both 70+1), A Campbell for Nallen (70+5).
Referee: John Bannon (Longford).
