Seanie O'Donnell strikes twice as Tyrone topple Donegal in Ballybofey
Seanie O'Donnell struck two first-half goals and helped Tyrone toppled Ulster foes Donegal in Ballybofey.
O'Donnell's brace proved crucial as Malachy O'Rourke came back to haunt Jim McGuinness again.
In front of 16,120 on a night that belonged in winter, Tyrone were indebted to a two-point scorcher by Peter Harte.
Three minutes from the end, Harte went for broke from outside the arc - and the Errigal Ciaran man's effort went between the posts as Tyrone handed McGuinness his first League or Championship defeat at MacCumhaill Park as Donegal manager.
O'Rourke is the only manager to have beaten McGuinness in Ulster during his reign, famously guiding Monaghan to glory in the 2013 Ulster final at the expense of Donegal, then the All-Ireland champions.
O'Donnell fisted to the net in the eighth minute after Caolan McGonagle was unable to hold a dropping ball in by Michael McKernan. The well-placed O'Donnell converted to inch Tyrone in front with a goal.
The Trillick man repeated the trick in the 17th minute. Conn Kilpatrick's surging run through the Donegal arteries opened up the possibilities - and O'Donnell made no mistake, blasting past Mulreany from close range.
Donegal might have had a goal in the opening moments of the game, but Tyrone 'keeper Niall Morgan saved from Michael Langan's powerful effort. The midfielder was teed up by McGonagle's cutback only to find Morgan on form, albeit at the expense of a point.
Kilpatrick eyed up a third Tyrone major, but Ciaran Thompson came to Donegal's aid with a telling block.
When Donegal needed a moment of magic, it arrived from a trusted source. Murphy rolled the years back with a pair of majestic two-point frees, the first of them nailed from 50m, to draw Donegal level in the 30th minute.
However, Tyrone led by two, 2-7 to 0-11, at half-time. Darren McCurry sailed over a two-point free and Kieran McGeary polished off a neat Tyrone move to give the Red Hands the lead at the interval.
Donegal were dealt a major blow with goalkeeper Shaun Patton unable to start due to an ankle injury picked up in the Ulster final a fortnight ago. Patton had been in a protective boot since and the St Eunan's net-minder was ruled out with Gavin Mulreany deputising between the posts.
While Eoghan Ban Gallagher made his return for a first Championship appearance of the year, Peadar Mogan and captain Patrick McBrearty were absent from the Donegal XV.
Thompson brought Donegal to within a point and Oisin Gallen could have levelled things up in the fifth minute of part two. On his home turf, the Ballybofey man fisted wide.
The nerves jangled and Shane O'Donnell did likewise soon after.
A trio of McCurry points opened up a five-point lead, but Donegal refused to buckle. Within a minute, Murphy and Langan kicked two pointers to put the game back in the melting pot again.
Down the stretch, in a game that may well have been defined by its wides at some stage, Harte found the magic potion to give Tyrone the edge.
In the dying moments, Cormac Quinn added the game's final point.
Tyrone had come agonisingly close to beating Armagh in an Ulster semi, but showed their worth here to overcome the just-crowned provincial champions.
Donegal: G Mulreany; F Roarty, B McCole, E Gallagher; R McHugh (0-1), C McGonagle, C Moore; H McFadden, M Langan (0-7); D Ó Baoill, C Thompson (0-2, 1f), S O'Donnell; C O'Donnell, M Murphy (0-8, 3 2pt f, 1f, 1 '45), O Gallen. Subs: O McFadden-Ferry for McGonagle (31).
Subs: E McHugh for Ó Baoill (half-time), P McBrearty (0-2) for McFadden (42), P Mogan for O'Donnell (50), O Doherty for Gallagher (60).
Tyrone: N Morgan; C Quinn (0-1), P Hampsey, N Devlin; M McKernan (0-1), R Brennan, K McGeary (0-1); B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; S O'Donnell (2-0), M Donnelly, C Daly (0-1); D McCurry (0-7, 1 2pt f, 2f), M Bradley (0-1), D Canavan (0-2f).
Subs: B McDonnell (0-1) for Kennedy (h-r), P Harte (0-2) for Donnelly (53), E McElholm for Bradley (55), F Burns for Brennan (57).
Referee: M McNally (Monaghan)
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