Allianz Football League: Donegal recover to edge Tyrone in tight Division One encounter

A much-improved second-half performance gave Donegal a 2-10 to 0-12 victory over Tyrone in a tight Division One encounter at a blustery Ballybofey.

Conor O'Donnell played a key role in the hosts' win, bringing them back into the game with a goal late in the first half before adding three points.

Substitute Jeaic McKelvey scored a second goal in injury time to add a gloss to the scoreline.

Darren McCurry starred for the Red Hands with five points.

The Red Hands welcomed back three of the four players red carded against Armagh in Padraig Hampsey, Michael McKernan and Kieran McGeary.

Both sides managed playing into the strong wind well, with Tyrone having the upper hand in the first half before a late goal and point from Donegal saw the sides go in level on 1-4 to 0-7 at the break.

Declan Bonner's men produced much more fluent movement and passing in a second half that was neck and neck throughout, with Tyrone off target with a number of long-range efforts.

Johnny Monroe levelled the scores at 1-9 to 0-12 with a point in the 62nd minute when he had an opportunity to go for goal, and it four minutes later Oisin Gallen's point edged Donegal ahead.

McKelvey then made sure of a hard-fought victory when he found the net from close range.

Tyrone missed a good goalscoring opportunity in just the third minute of the match, with Conn Kilpatrick - who scored a well-taken goal against Kildare last week - having plenty of space in front of the posts but failing to connect properly with his right-foot shot and dragging it wide of the far post.

That seemed to stun the hosts into action as they took a two-point lead with quickfire scores in the fifth and sixth minutes - the first a free from Patrick McBrearty and the second a Ryan McHugh point from play after a poor kick out.

Hugh McFadden then missed an easy free before the visitors opened their account to draw level through Darragh Canavan - from a long kick out - and a Darren McCurry free, but McBrearty restored Donegal's one-point lead soon after.

That proved to be the home side's last score for 24 minutes as Michael McKernan and Kilpatrick began to build a lead for the Red Hands before a lengthy delay to the match due to a bad arm injury that forced Padraig McNulty off after a challenge with Odhran McFadden.

Further scores from McKernan, McCurry and substitute Richard Donnelly put the All-Ireland champions 0-4 to 0-3 ahead before a strong end to the half saw Donegal go in level at the break.

In the first of seven minutes of added time, Conor O'Donnell found the net for an excellent team goal that included a fine passing move that ended with McBrearty showing unselfishness to feed O'Donnell for the finish from close range.

O'Donnell then forced a smart save from Niall Morgan before Jason Magee struck the point that made the score 1-4 to 0-7 at half-time.

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