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Tyrone 0-06 Donegal 1-10

Tyrone's Martin Penrose had a goal disallowed in the first half
Tyrone's Martin Penrose had a goal disallowed in the first half

Donegal hit form to score a shock win over Tyrone at Healy Park and send the Red Hands spiraling into the relegation zone.

This was an impressive display from the men from the north-west, and new manager Jim McGuinness appears to have put a spring in their collective step.

They are unbeaten after two games, while Tyrone, relegated from Division One last season, have yet to pick up a point in the current campaign.

Donegal survived an early penalty scare when Niall McKenna - making his first start - appeared to be fouled by Neil McGee, but referee Pat Fox was unimpressed.

And the visitors were soon level, Colm McFadden hooking over a point to cancel out Martin Penrose’s early free.

The Red Hands eased into a two-point lead through Penrose and Peter Harte, before a flowing move involving Sean Cavanagh, Penrose and Peter Harte sent Enda McGinley through to make it 0-4 to 0-1 at the end of the opening quarter.

With McGinley dropping back to help Kevin Hughes and McKenna at midfield, the home side gained control of the vital central area, forcing Donegal skipper and full forward Michael Murphy to drift outfield in search of possession.

Murphy finally found his range in the 22nd minute, knocking over a point and winning the free that McFadden converted, before bringing the sides level on 0-4 each from a placed ball.

Now building effectively from the back, Donegal were growing in confidence by the minute, and went in front for the first time when Karl Lacey sent centre back Leo McLoone in to split the posts.

Lacey and Paddy McGrath produced defensive heroics to stifle an increasingly frustrated Tyrone attack, but a third free from Penrose sent the sides in at the break deadlocked on 0-5 each.

Substitute Dermot Molloy drilled home a Donegal goal just three minutes after the restart after Pascal McConnell had saved from Anthony Thompson, and the anticipated Tyrone backlash never materialised.

They scored just one point in the second half from a Sean Cavanagh free and struggled to break down a Donegal defence in which Karl Lacey, Paddy McGrath, Neil McGee and Leo McLoone were magnificent.

Murphy and McFadden knocked over the points that compounded Red Hand misery and in the end it was a stroll for the visitors, who will face Kildare in their next game with confidence on a high.

Tyrone: P McConnell, A McCrory, C McCarron, R McMenamin, D Harte, C Gormley, D Carlin, K Hughes, N McKenna, P Harte (0-1), B McGuigan, S Cavanagh (0-1, f), M Penrose (0-3, 3f), S O’Neill, E McGinley (0-1).

Subs: O Mulligan for McKenna, A Cassidy for McGuigan, D McCaul for McCarron

Donegal: P Durkan, P McGrath, N McGee, K Mulhern, K Lacey, L McLoone (0-1), A Thompson, M McElhinney, R Bradley, D Walsh, M McHugh, D McLaughlin, S Griffin, M Murphy (0-3, 2f), C McFadden (0-4, 3f).

Subs: F McGlynn for Mulhern, D Molloy (1-2) for Walsh, C Classon for Bradley, A Hanlon for Griffin

Referee: P Fox (Westmeath).

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