RORY GALLAGHER says Donegal have to ‘suck up’ the disappointment of a second Ulster final defeat in a row and ready themselves for a qualifier against Cork in two weeks’ time.
Gallagher stood ashen-faced and watched the Anglo Celt slip from Donegal’s grasp in baking Clones heat.
Donegal led three times in the closing chapter, but Tyrone – spurred by the evergreen Sean Cavanagh – turned the tables.
The day was going almost to perfection for Donegal, who led 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time with Tyrone losing Mattie Donnelly and Cathal McShane to black cards before the changeover.
[adrotate group=”43″]Patrick McBrearty’s point stretched the Donegal lead out to four, but they lacked a cutting edge in attack and paid the ultimate price for conservatism as Cavanagh, Peter Harte and Kieran McGreary slammed over the late game changers.
“Disappointed,” sighed a downbeat Gallagher.
“We have battled hard throughout a very tough bruising championship campaign and we played really well through periods of it but ultimately we came up short and that is very difficult.
“You have to put distance between yourself and the other top four or five teams and we just weren’t able to put enough distance.
“The attack played well in the first half but there was a wee bit of a breeze and we would have liked to have been four or five up. But you always want more. The bottom line is that Tyrone put on the pressure a wee bit ore in the second half and they showed a lot of quality too hit the sores they did.”
The game hinged on some pivotal moments in the engrossing ending, not least when Cavanagh cancelled out a Christy Toye point that had Donegal 0-11 to 0-10 ahead.
The move began when Donegal’s Frank McGlynn was denied a free at the other end.
“A two-point swing,” Gallagher noted ruefully.
“I thought it was a free we would have scored but we didn’t get it.
“We’ll have to see it on the television but I thought it was a free and I thought Kieran Gillespie should have got a free as well a lot closer to the goal.
“It is hard to know. I thought Frank maybe should have got a free but we will have to look at the footage. At the end of the day you can argue about a free either way.”
They were perhaps undone by their own patience, although Tyrone’s replacements had a big impact on the second period. By contrast, Donegal opted to send Anthony Thompson back into the fray, favouring him to the fresh legs of Leo McLoone.
[adrotate group=”46″]Gallagher said: “Ah, I suppose they lost a few players early on, but young (Mark) Bradley came in and was sharp and Darren McCurry; we knew they would throw them into the mix.
“Niall Morgan and Peter Harte and Sean Cavanagh kicked massive scores in the second half.
“The nature of Tyrone is that they give you a lot of possession and they invite you on. We knew that coming in here. We just weren’t able to break them down as consistently in the second half.
“You have to learn the lessons. You have to suck it up and get on. It will be a tough day or two but our boys will suck it up and they will be back.”
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