Unbelievable Donegal comeback leads to penalty shoot-out heartbreak

Tyrone came through an epic Ulster Minor Championship semi-final against a Donegal side who scored 1-1 in injury time at the end of extra-time to force penalties - only to lose out in the shoot-out.

Donegal 1-10
Tyrone 0-13
(after extra-time. Tyrone win 4-3 on penalties)

After a marathon contest, Conor McAnaney saved Shane Callaghan’s final spot-kick, while Cian McMenamin - the man who had forced penalties with nerves of steel - put Donegal’s first spot kick wide. 

Mark McDevitt also saw his kick saved by McAnaney, only for referee Michael Moore to order a retake for the netminder moving from his line and the Naomh Conaill player made sure at the second attempt. When Donegal Conlon goalkeeper Zack Conlon denied Sean Hughes, his team were in with a chance. However, it ended with McAnaney the hero. At the end, you'd never seen two more contrasting camps. Donegal were absolutely dejected and Tyrone danced under the Derry skyline.

Donegal's successful penalties were courtesy of Seanan Carr, Eoghan Scott and McDevitt, with Tyrone's Noah Grimes, Leo Hughes and Nathan Farry on the money before Niall McCarney.

Tyrone, the red-hot favourites, looked to be sliding out at 0-8 to 0-5 down with 53 minutes on the clock but forced extra-time thanks to a wonderpoint from Eoin McElholm from the acutest of angles. Tyrone then kept Donegal out from the 45th minute through most of extra-time till there was only two minutes left, whilst scoring eight on the bounce themselves to go 0-13 to 0-8 up.

Callaghan pointed to halt the Donegal slide and then, in the craziest of finishes, 40 seconds into injury time, Donegal captain and corner-back Donal Gallagher slammed home the only goal of the game when fed by Kevin Lynch. In fact, it was Gallagher’s booming ball into the substitute to create the chance initially. McDevitt, at 0-13 to 1-9 down, was hauled down by Ruairí McCullagh, who was given a black then a red card to add to his previous yellow. 

It looked as though Donegal’s Lazarus effort was going to end inches short, only for one last attack to leave McMenamin with the chance to force penalties with a 73rd minute free, which he brilliantly nailed from long range to somehow tie up the match.

Entering extra-time at 0-8 to 0-8, with Donegal having put in a mammoth effort but looking exhausted, Gerard Donnelly’s Tyrone continued their momentum with scores from Grimes, McCarney and Callum Daly making for a 0-11 to 0-8 lead by half-time in extra-time. Skipper McElholm marked a point at the start of part two, with the only avenue you’d assume to get back into the game for Donegal being a goal when Grimes put Tyrone five up with three to play.

It didn't look like it was coming. But it did.  Penalties. Donegal gutted. Tyrone will play Derry next Sunday.

This is how it began. Against a bit of a wind, Donegal made a good start, with Karl Joseph Molloy shooting for goal in the fourth minute, only to see it deflected wide. McMenamin stroked over the 45 with ease and then Molloy added a free for 0-2 to 0-0. 

Tyrone had amassed sizable victories to reach the last four, posting 3-17 in wins over Cavan and Antrim, with concessions of 1-15 and 0-5 respectively. Donegal, for their part, opened explosively, with a 4-15 to 0-5 opening round victory over Fermanagh before losing 2-11 to 1-9 in Derry.

They got back on track in a 4-12 to 3-7 success over Monaghan last weekend, in a contest where they saw their lead whittle from 16 to three at stage. They only thought that was a bit bananas.

Luke Barrett’s Donegal went 0-3 to 0-1 up when Molloy and his namesake Ronan on the Tyrone side swapped scores.  Tyrone, last year’s Ulster champions, had ended Donegal’s dreams in each of the last two campaigns and when attacking, showed their obvious class, with Grimes in particular lighting up the Red Hands' attack. They scored three successive points to go from two down to one up, at 0-4 to 0-3, with Michael McElhatton, Conan Devlin and McElholm registering. 

Donegal were putting in a massive shift defensively and another Molloy free got them level by the 26th minute. From the shared eight points, Donegal’s were all from placed balls with Tyrone’s from play. However, Cian McGee punched over in the last minute of the half and it was Donegal who led, 0-5 to 0-4, at the break.

Outsiders Donegal played their cards to perfection in the third quarter, following a point from Tyrone’s Grimes which had tied up. Defending to perfection almost, then picked three scores in succession to go 0-8 to 0-5 ahead by the 45th minute - two monsters from McDevitt and then Molloy adding his fourth of the evening. Unsure whether to stick or twist, Donegal sat and Tyrone pushed. 

Seven minutes from time, Tyrone almost manufactured the goal they required to get level, with McElholm picking a way through the Donegal defence and laying off to Callum Daly, who opted for the two-handed slap only to see it clip the crossbar on the way over. 

Sean Hughes of Tyrone then held his nerve to post a free and leave his team just one down. McElholm levelled in the 59th minute and with nerves on complete edge, off we went to extra-time with the score tied at 0-8 apiece. 

Donegal scorers: Karl Joseph Molloy, 0-4, 3f; Donal Gallagher 1-0; Mark McDevitt 0-2; Cian McMenamin 0-2, 45, 1f; Cian McGee 0-1; Shane Callaghan 0-1.
Tyrone scorers: Eoin McElholm 0-3, 1m; Noah Grimes 0-3, 1f; Caullm Daly 0-2; Ronan Molloy 0-1; Michael McElhatton 0-1; Conan Devlin 0-1; Sean Hughes 0-1, Niall McCarney 0-1

Donegal: Zach Conlon; Shaun McMenamin, Niall Prendeville, Donal Gallagher; Finbar Roarty, Eoghan Kelly, Shaun  Martin; Cian McGee, Lorcan McGee; Karl Joseph Molloy, Conor McGinty, Cian McMenamin; Mark McDevitt, Ryan Barrett, Daithi Gildea. Sub: Padraig Coyle for Barrett (44), Sean McLaughlin for Gildea (55), Eoghan Scott for Roarty (60+1), Shane Callaghan for Molloy (66), Kevin Lynch for Coyle (72), Seanan Carr for McGinty (78)

Tyrone: Conor McAneney; Joey Clarke, Ben Hughes, Conor Devlin; Conan Devlin, Callum Daly, Nathan Farry; Ronan Molloy, Conor O’Donnell; Charlie Donnelly, Eoin McElholm, Caolan Donnelly; Noah Grimes, Barry McMenamin, Michael McElhatton. Subs: Sean Hughes and Ruairí McCullagh for Donnelly and Molloy (42), Niall McCarney for McElhatton (54), Leo Hughes for McMenamin (57), Sheehan Fay for Conor Devlin (76)

Referee: Michael Moran (Down).