Davin Flynn starred as Donegal captured the Division 3A title in a one-sided final at Celtic Park.
Donegal 4-25 Tyrone 1-11
Flynn, from Roscrea in Tipperary, scored a deadly 2-8 – all from play – as Ardal McDermott’s team roared to a victory that puts them back into Division 2B for next season.
Flynn has made a fine impression in his first year in the green and gold and he led the way here as Donegal claimed the silverware in style.
Flynn’s brace and a third goal by Stephen Gillespie saw Donegal lead by 16 points at half-time and Ronan McDermott tucked home a fourth major early in the second half.
Tyrone had sub Mike O’Gorman sent off for a strike on Flynn with 20 minutes to go.
The Red Hands did get a goal from Damien Casey, who scored 1-6, but the end result was never in doubt – and it was only a matter of how many Donegal would have to spare.
By the time Casey popped over Tyrone’s first point of the afternoon, there was already the sense that the game was over as a contest – and so it proved.
Even at that stage, the green and gold ribbons could be knotted to the silverware as Flynn’s early 2-3 helped Donegal to a comfortable 2-8 to no score advantage.
Flynn, a schoolteacher in Dunfanaghy, was on fire in the early moments.
After netting from close range in the eighth minute, he riffled home from 20 metres just seven minutes later, his shot arrowing past John Devlin, the Tyrone net-minder.
With the final act of the first half, Gillespie finished the third Donegal goal from close range and they led by 16 points (3-11 to 0-4) at the short whistle.
Lee Henderson was his usual accurate self with the game’s opening three points while Flynn (3), Niall Clearly and a brilliant Bernard Lafferty point continued the Tir Chonaill dominance.
The game had originally been pencilled in to take place in Carrick-on-Shannon, but sense prevailed in the week when the decision was taken to switch it to Celtic Park.
Yet it still didn’t have a big bearing on the attendance, bearing in mind that little more than 100 people showed up to the Lone Moor Road venue as these old foes crossed camáns for the third time this year.
Each side had won one game in the round robin series and it was Donegal who took a command of this one.
They bagged a goal in the eighth minute as Flynn got the final touch in a goalmouth scramble.
After good approach work by Lafferty, Gillespie and Niall Cleary had stabs at it, but Flynn managed to apply the finishing touch.
Flynn fired home his and Donegal’s second soon after – and there was never a feeling that the comeback was on for the Red Hands, who posted seven wides in the opening half.
Gillespie, in as a late replacement for the injured Declan Coulter, netted in the final minute of the half, straight after Donegal ‘keeper Paul Burns did well to turn over an effort from Aidan Kelly.
McDermott was initially denied by John Devlin, but slotted in from the rebound to open up a 20-point margin.
Tyrone lost O’Gorman to a sending off and although Casey managed to find the net, Donegal were never in danger – and are on their way back to Division 2B for 2018.
Donegal: Paul Burns; Dara Grant, Jamesie Donnelly, Padhraic Doherty; Joe Boyle (0-2), Jack O’Loughlin, Ciaran Finn; Danny Cullen (0-1), Lee Henderson (0-7, 6f); Bernard Lafferty (0-2), Colm Melaugh (0-1), Ronan McDermott (1-1); Stephen Gillespie (1-0), Niall Cleary (0-1), Davin Flynn (2-8). Subs: Jamie De Ward (0-2) for Lafferty (48), Christopher McDermott for Finn (57), Gerard Gilmore for Cleary (61), Richie Kee for Melaugh (61), Seán Curran for Flynn (70).
Tyrone: John Devlin; Ruairà Devlin, Brendan Begley, Seán Muldoon; Lorcan Devlin, Stephen Donnelly, Tiarnan Morgan; Chris Cross, Dermot Begley; Conor Grogan (0-2), Pierse O’Kelly, Ryan McKernan; Matthew Mulgrew (0-1), Damien Casey (1-6, 2f), Peadar Daly. Subs: Aidan Kelly (0-1) for O’Kelly (23), Bryan McGurk for Daly (25), Pádraig McHugh (0-1) for McKernan (half-time), Mike O’Gorman for Muldoon (45), Duibhir Marshall for Cross (60).
Referee: Rory McGann (Clare).
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