Tyrone cruise to victory over Donegal in tame Division 1 affair

If some movie buff ever releases a series on the titanic and occasionally tempestuous derbies between Tyrone and Donegal down the years, chances are this one won’t make the cut.

Tyrone 0-16 Donegal 0-8

This was as pedestrian as you come, although the Tyrone joint-management ticket of Brian Doohan and Feargal Logan, whose side produced as comfortable a win as you can imagine, can be content with their day's work. Tyrone won pulling up, with Darren McCurry kicking seven placed balls. Usually these contests are quantifiable by yellow cards, with Jamie Brennan and Peter Harte the only two going into David Gough’s book.

Following on from an opening day 0-13 to 1-9 win over Kerry, Donegal made the short trip to Omagh with a spring in their step to face a Tyrone side beaten in Roscommon last weekend. However, there would be a role reversal and Tyrone weren’t for leaving with their tail between their legs for the second Sunday in a row.

Following a frosty morning that developed into a fine spring day with clear sunshine under a blue sky, it was Tyrone who took charge from the start, having the ball for almost three minutes to begin with. By the break they were 0-6 to 0-3 in front and, if truth be told, Donegal were pretty much hanging in there.

Donegal did miss the best goal opportunity of the first half, with Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí’s scuffed effort - after a fisted effort at a point by Conor O’Donnell came down off the crossbar  - was cleared by Brian Kennedy off the line on 25 minutes. 

At the time Tyrone were 0-5 to 0-3 in front and moments later, full-back Cormac Munroe got in on the Donegal goal and fizzed an effort towards the top corner to fly inches just over the crossbar.

In ways, the ease at how the Red Hands could turn over possession and then cut open the Donegal defence in that move was a highlight of a series of similar incidents of the first half, with Kieran McGeary impressive and the midfield duo of Kennedy and Conn Kilpatrick having the upper hand. 

Darren McCurry kicked two frees inside of the first 10 minutes, either side of Kennedy’s score to put the hosts three up. Jamie Brennan scored a top-class long-ranger to open Donegal’s account and by the 15th minute the visitors were back to just the one down.

After McCurry’s third free, Mac Ceallabhuí and O’Donnell took Donegal back to 0-4 to 0-3 before Frank Burns and the aforementioned Muroe score to give Tyrone a three-point interval lead, which was the very least they deserved.

John Moores University Liverpool based Peadar Mogan, who rejoined the panel, was introduced by the break and saw Patrick McBrearty open the scoring after the break with a mark.

That, though, was more the exception than the rule, with Tyrone dominating the third quarter and looking dangerous every time they went forward, an assault that was by by then wind-assisted. 

Halfway through the second half, Tyrone’s lead was pushed out to 0-14 to 0-6, with McCurry picking the tick on it and Canavan popping over two scores himself. Donegal’s points on that passage came from O’Donnell, who was perhaps their best player, and Brennan, who scored a mark but missed a scorable free on the right foot.

Donegal saw three league debutants in the second half, with Joel Bradley Walsh - who hit the last point of the day - Jamie Grant  and Brian O'Donnell all getting runs, while Hugh McFadden kicked a point on his 100th outing for Donegal. It wasn’t one to remember though, with Tyrone seeing it out impressively with top-class points from Padraig Hampsey and Cormac Quinn, with the last word going to McCurry.

Tyrone scorers: Darren McCurry 0-7, 6f, 1m; Darragh Canavan 0-3; Cathal McShane 0-1, 1m;  Brian Kennedy 0-1; Frank Burns, Cormac Munroe, Padraig Hampsey and Cormac Quinn 0-1 each.
Donegal scorers: Jamie Brennnan 0-2, 1m; Conor O’Donnell 0-2; Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí; Hugh McFadden 0-1; Patrick McBrearty 0-1, 1f; Joel Bradley Walsh 0-1, 1f

Tyrone: Niall Morgan; Michael McKernan, Cormac Munroe, Padraig Hampsey; Cormac Quinn, Peter Harte, Niall Devlin; Conn Kilpatrick, Brian Kennedy; Frank Burns, Kieran McGeary, Conor Meyley; Cathal McShane, Darren McCurry, Darragh Canavan. Subs: Niall Sludden for D Canavan (54), Mattie Donnelly for Quinn (64), Richie Donnelly for Sludden (68), Emmet McNabb and Nathan McCarron for McGearty and McCurry (60+1).

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Mark Curran, Brendan McCole, Caolan Ward; Caolan McColgan, Stephen McMenamin, Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí; Caolan McGonagle, Jason McGee; Johnny McGroddy, Daire Ó Baoill, Conor O’Donnell; Hugh McFadden,Patrick McBrearty, Jamie Brennan. Subs: Peadar Mogan for Mac Ceallabhuí (half-time), Jamie Grant for McGroddy (51), Joel Bradley Walsh for McBrearty (58), Brian O’Donnell for McColgan (67)., 

Referee:  David Gough (Meath)