Next month will see Tyrone contest their fourth Ulster SFC final this decade after they left league champions Donegal floundering 2-15 to 1-07 at Clones this afternoon.
Despite a considerable injury list, Mickey Harte's men were a class apart at St Tiernach’s Park as they eased themselves through to the 15 July decider and put down a marker for the remainder of the championship.
Donegal failed to fire and never reached the heights of their NFL displays, despite Kevin Cassidy stabbing home an eleventh-minute goal.
Helped by a trio of Owen Mulligan points, Tyrone were 1-06 to 1-03 ahead at the break, with Colm McCullagh netting a 34th-minute penalty.
In front of a disappointing attendance of 21,985, Brian Dooher played a captain's part for the Red Hands, scoring 0-5 from play, with Raymond Mulgrew grabbing their other goal.
Donegal's Colm McFadden and Kevin McMenamin were both sent-off in the closing stages as the Tir Chonaill side lost for the first time since Tyrone beat them in February's Dr McKenna Cup final.
Dooher signalled his side's intent as he pointed after only 20 seconds, lofting over from the left after a slick move involving the Cavanagh brothers, Colm and Sean, and Kevin Hughes.
Donegal made two changes to their team before the throw-in, one expected and the other a surprise.
Former All Star Adrian Sweeney was added to their attack instead of Michael Hegarty, who recently underwent a minor knee operation, while Eamon McGee was a surprise inclusion at wing-back in place of Barry Dunnion.
Mulligan bent over a second-minute free to nudge Tyrone 0-02 to 0-00 ahead before corner man McFadden, profiting from some direct football, swung over Donegal's opening point in the seventh-minute.
The powerfully-built McFadden then increased his influence as he won a penalty off his marker Cormac McGinley. The St Michael's attacker did have the ball in the net but referee David Coldrick called play back for the foul.
Tyrone 'keeper John Devine was equal to McFadden's penalty strike, getting down well to his right to block the shot, however Donegal regrouped and Ciaran Bonner pointed on the rebound to level the tie.
Donegal had to wait just two minutes for another goal chance and this one they buried as Rory Kavanagh caught a high ball and laid off for the lurking Cassidy to prod home a left-footed shot from close range.
Tyrone replied with menace, scoring 1-04 without reply as their key players really stepped up to the mark. Dooher made good use of space to point and two quick scores from Mulligan squared up the game at 0-05 to 1-02.
Struggling to control the Tyrone attack, Brian McIver's men were also having little luck in front of goal as McFadden struck two disappointing wides and Devenney also missed the posts from a tight angle.
Davy Harte sent over Tyrone's sixth point before Donegal net minder Paul Durcan conceded a penalty just before the interval. He was penalised for throwing the ball to a team-mate out of the small square as the Red Hands pressed for more scores.
Former soccer player McCullagh took on the responsibility of taking the penalty and he tucked it away with aplomb, left-footing home to the bottom right corner for a 1-06 to 1-02 score line.
Devenney's free ended Donegal's scoreless spell, but they needed to follow that up with a strong start to the second period and that never materialised.
Tyrone continued to dominate on the resumption, scoring four of the second half's opening five points.
Tyrone's sheer desire to win back the Anglo-Celt Cup was evident when a Mulligan free, which was drifting wide, was plucked out of the air by Mulgrew and his excellent work along the end line to keep the ball in play led to Dooher landing a peach of a point.
Ciaran Bonner beat two players at the other end to post an immediate reply but Kevin Hughes, Dooher, who slotted over after some superb tackling from his white-shirted team mates, and McCullagh each added further to Tyrone's tally as they pushed 1-10 to 1-04 ahead.
Kavanagh and Dooher then swapped points before Tyrone introduced former Footballer of the Year Stephen O'Neill, who had been troubled by a knee injury, and they then put the result beyond doubt when Mulgrew rifled home a 52nd-minute goal, teed up for him by McCullagh.
Sean Cavanagh fisted over soon after to make it a ten-point margin and send some of the Donegal supporters heading for the exits.
It was a wise decision as the Tir Chonaill men could only kick two more points in the closing quarter-hour, with McMenamin and Devenney both raising white flags.
O'Neill got in some shooting practice, angling over two scores, while Mulgrew pointed from the right in injury-time to put the final nail in the coffin. Before that, Donegal's woes were compounded when frustration got the better of two of their players.
McFadden lashed out at Dooher five minutes from time, landing a right hook on the Tyrone skipper right in front of referee Coldrick who immediately brandished a red card.
McMenamin also walked for his second bookable offence in injury-time, emphasising what was a disappointing end to an utterly forgettable day for Donegal, whose long wait for an Ulster SFC title goes on – their last Anglo-Celt Cup success was all of 15 years ago.
For Tyrone, there are plenty of positives to draw from this display and plenty to worry their potential Ulster final opponents Derry and Monaghan, who meet next Sunday at Casement Park.
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 (capt) (0-5), R Mulgrew (1-1), E McGinley, C McCullagh (1-1, 1-0pen, 0-1f); C Cavanagh, O Mulligan (0-3, 0-2f).
Subs used: 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 (capt), K Cassidy (1-0); B Roper, C Bonner (0-2), R Kavanagh (0-1); C McFadden (0-1), B Devenney (0-2, 0-1f), A Sweeney.
Subs used: R Bradley for Roper, K McMenamin (0-1) for Sweeney, N McCreadie for Campbell, S McDermott for Bonner.
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)
