Donegal gave a masterclass in this Nicky Rackard opener in Killyclogher, proving much too strong for a Tyrone team that beat them comprehensively in the same competition last year.
Tyrone 1-22 Donegal 1-26
By Charlie Collins in Killyclogher
Davin Flynn gave Donegal a great start when he grabbed Jamsie Donnelly’s pass and hammered the ball to the Tyrone net in the 3rd minute.
Tyrone responded well with four points in a row from Damien Casey with a 65 followed by a free and then two from play by Chris Kearns and Lorcan Devlin to lead by one after eleven minutes.
Back came Donegal with three points in a row , Ciaran Mathewson and Ronan Mc Dermott from play and in between those a Declan Coulter free to leave two in it in the 17 th minute. Ryan Mc Kernan replied for Tyrone but Gerry Gilmore and Jamsie Donnelly both knocked over excellent points to make it a three point game again.
Donegal were on top now and Gilmore added his second of the game followed by two from Coulter and suddenly there was six between the teams.
Casey pointed for Tyrone but again Donegal responded with a Flynn point and when Casey got Tyrone’s seventh point in the 32nd minute.
Coulter who had the final say of the half with a super free from near the sideline from Coulter again to leave Donegal ahead by 1-10 to 0-07 at the break.
Donegal made a great start to the second-half with three points from Declan Coulter and a cracker from Ciaran Mathewson from long range and they led by ten points.
Casey got points either side of another Coulter score but another beauty from Mathewson and then three more from Coulter and it was 1-19 to 0-09 for Donegal.
The home replied with a Bryan McGurk goal when he flicked Casey’s free to the net.
However Donegal continued to dominate and Davin Flynn and Declan Coulter continued to show their class with some super scores to leave the final score 1-26 to 1-12 in Donegal ‘s favour to make it a great start to their campaign in the Nicky Rackard Cup.
They meet Leitrim in O Donnell Park next Saturday.
Tyrone: Conor McElhatton; Conor McNally, Ruairi Devlin, Padraig McHugh; Lorcan Devlin (0-1) , Stephen Donnelly, Chris Kearns (0-2); Dermott Begley (0-1), Chris Cross; Damien Casey (0-7), Pierse O’Kelly, Josh Ferguson; Aiden Kelly, Ryan McKernan (0-1), Byran Mc Gurk (1-0). Subs: Justin Kelly for McKernan (33) , Conor Daly for Ferguson (h/t), Tiernan Morgan for Cross (46).
Donegal: Paul Burns; Padraig Doherty, Christopher McDermott, Stephen Gillespie; Jamsie Donnelly (0-1), Danny Cullen, Ciaran Mathewson (0-3); Joe Boyle, Sean McVeigh; Declan Coulter (0-13, 9f), Davin Flynn (1-5, 2f), Bernard Lafferty; Enda McDermott, Ronan McDermott (0-1), Gerry Gilmore (0-3). Subs: Kevin Campbell for E.Mc Dermott (h/t), Gavin Browne for Donnelly (63), Caolan McDermott for Coulter (66), Ciaran Finn for Gillespie (68 ), Niall Cleary for Boyle (68).
Referee: Kevin McGeeney (Armagh ).
