Donegal simply failed to produce as Tyrone sensed blood in the water, raps fuming boss Jim McGuinness

Belfast Telegraph

4 days ago

Tyrone hopscotched over the border to hand McGuinness his first defeat in Ballybofey as Donegal manager in Championship or League football.
Malachy O'Rourke's men sensed blood – and Peter Harte's superb two-pointer provided the fatal blow as Tyrone finished with a flourish.
Donegal, without No.1 goalkeeper Shaun Patton, seemed vulnerable, and Seanie O'Donnell's two first-half goals laid the platform for Tyrone to upset the off-form Ulster champions.
'There was blood in the water and Tyrone sensed that, and they pushed more and more and more players on,' McGuinness said afterwards.
The Donegal manager said there were 'no excuses here at all'.
It was a simple case that Donegal 'just didn't produce', but for O'Rourke and Tyrone, there was something of redemption at a wintry MacCumhaill Park.
Sheets of rain lashed down from thick black clouds as the Red Hands showed again that they can compete.
An Ulster Semi-Final only slipped away when Rory Grugan snatched victory after the buzzer for All-Ireland champions Armagh.
'We were waiting for a display like that, to be honest,' O'Rourke – the only Ulster manager to have beaten McGuinness in Championship football – enthused.
'We knew that it was going to be a really gritty performance as well as a quality one to get something.
'The boys showed real character there as well. We went behind a couple of times in the second-half, but they simply refused to give in – and that was the most heartening thing.'
O'Donnell batted to the net after eight minutes when he seized the moment as Caolan McGonagle couldn't hold onto a dropping ball in by Michael McKernan.
Tyrone survived an early scare when Niall Morgan flicked over a thundering drive by the excellent Michael Langan.
Donegal were stunned when Tyrone added a second goal as O'Donnell rifled past Gavin Mulreany after Conn Kilpatrick's telling surge from deep.
Michael Murphy nailed a 50m free for two points to get Donegal back in the mix and the Glenswilly giant landed another long-ranger with the night in the melting pot.
Tyrone, with Darren McCurry proving a real handful, led 2-07 to 0-11 at half-time. McCurry continued where he left off to stretch the lead on the resumption.
Langan and Murphy – who posted 15 points between them – scored two-pointers in swift succession, however, and the pendulum appeared to swing Donegal's way when Patrick McBrearty sailed over a monster from the stand side.
'We were in a position to win the game and we should have won the game,' McGuinness lamented.
'We couldn't get our hands on the ball, and when we did get our hands on the ball, we didn't take care of the ball – that's it in a nutshell.
'Even at that, we were two points up with seven minutes to go and we gave the ball away and we never got the ball back again.'
When Harte took aim with three minutes left, Tyrone – even with Brian Kennedy and Padraig Hampsey going off injured – were set up for victory.
O'Rourke said: 'We just held our composure, held our nerve, worked really hard for each other and got some quality scores.
'We just kept battling and showed brilliant character and showed great composure to eke out the win, and we're delighted with that.
'That's what we're trying to grow, a really strong panel and everybody fighting for a place, and so it's a great step forward.'
Scorers, Donegal: M Murphy (3 2ptf, 1f, 1 '45) 0-08; M Langan 0-07; C Thompson (1f), P McBrearty 0-02 each, R McHugh 0-01.
Tyrone: D McCurry (1 2ptf, 2f) 0-07; S O'Donnell 2-00; D Canavan (2f), P Harte 0-02 each; M McKernan, K McGeary, M Brennan, B McDonnell, C Daly, C Quinn 0-01 each.
Donegal: G Mulreany; F Roarty, B McCole, E Gallagher; R McHugh, C McGonagle, C Moore; H McFadden, M Langan; D Ó Baoill, C Thompson, S O'Donnell; C O'Donnell, M Murphy, O Gallen.
Subs: O McFadden Ferry for McGonagle (31), E McHugh for Ó Baoill (HT), P McBrearty for McFadden (42), P Mogan for O'Donnell (50), O Doherty for Gallagher (60).
Tyrone: N Morgan; C Quinn, P Hampsey, N Devlin; M McKernan, R Brennan, K McGeary; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; S O'Donnell, M Donnelly, C Daly; D McCurry, M Bradley, D Canavan.
Subs: P Teague for Hampsey (35), B McDonnell for Kennedy (HT), P Harte for Donnelly (53), E McElholm for Bradley (55), F Burns for Brennan (57).