Tyrone manager Mickey Harte may have stumbled upon his best team and is likely to make changes for next weekend’s All-Ireland semi-final against Monaghan.
The Red Hand ended Donegal’s 21-match unbeaten run at Ballybofey in League and Championship, with a late scoring surge ensuring they finish runners-up to Dublin in Group 2 of the Super 8s.
They now take on Ulster rivals Monaghan for a place in the All-Ireland final, and speaking on RTÉ Radio’s Sunday Sport, former Armagh forward Oisin McConville said it was the energy of the substitutes which steered the visitors to victory.
Kieran McGeary (0-01), Lee Brennan (0-04) and Declan McClure (1-00) all got on the score sheet and McConville says it was the difference between the sides as Declan Bonner’s enjoyed a three-point lead at the interval.
"Donegal at the start of the second-half looked really, really comfortable," he said. "Tyrone started to get a stranglehold and Colm Cavanagh had such an influence on the game.
"The biggest thing was Tyrone got 12 points from their starters and 2-05 from the bench. Lee Brennan in particular just lit the place up.
"He looked comfortable on the ball, a player who was happy in his surroundings. You couldn’t say that about a lot of Tyrone forward up to that point. He made a real difference.
"Donegal were left flagging by the end Tyrone held all the aces for the final 15 minutes."
"The team that started today will be dramatically different from the one which starts against Monaghan next week"
McConville says that while the contest may not have lived up to expectations, it was an intriguing battle and one which has allowed Harte stumble upon his best starting XV.
"It might be the fifth of August, but it might have taken until this point for Mickey Harte to know what his best team is.
"The team that started today will be dramatically different from the one which starts against Monaghan next week."
