Donegal and Tyrone can’t be separated in Division 2B clash in Omagh 

Donegal had to settle for a share of the league points with Tyrone after the sides could not be split at the end of a highly competitive clash on Saturday afternoon in Healy Park, Omagh.  

The opening exchanges were evenly contested with the sides level five times inside the opening quarter.

Gerard Gilmore once again top-scored for what was again a youthful Donegal side. The versatile Setanta club, who lined out in the middle of the field alongside Sean McVeigh, posted  0-10, nine of those overs coming from frees.

Oisin Grant, McVeigh, Brian MacIntyre, Gavin Browne, Conor Gartland and Stephen Gillespie also chipped in with points on a day where Donegal had seven different scores. 

Mickey McCann’s charges led by a point, 0-12 to 0-11, at the end of a closely contested opening half.

McVeigh, Gilmore, Grant, MacIntyre, Browne and Liam McKinney raised the first-half flags for the visitors.

Aidy Kelly, Joe McToal and Lorcan Devlin were on the scoresheet for the Red Hands.

Donegal started the second period with two quickfire points from Garland and Conor O’Grady to go three clear at 0-14 to 0-11. 

And they were still three in front by the end of the third quarter as they led 0-16 to 0-13.

But a Tyrone goal, drilled home by cornerback Seamus Sweeney, tied up the game at 0-16 to 1-13.

That was on 50 minutes and four minutes later McToal pointed for a 1-14 to 0-16 lead for the first time since the end of the first quarter hour. 

But three swift Gilmore points, two of them from placed balls, restored Donegal’s one-point advantage once more for a grandstand finish. 

And though Tyrone drew level on the stroke of full-time, Stephen Gillespie landed the lead point once more on the stroke of 70 minutes. 

However, a late Kelly ‘65 in dying seconds levelled the tie for the last time. 

Donegal scorers: Gerard Gilmore 0-10, 9f; Oisin Grant 0-2; Sean McVeigh, Brian MacIntyre, Gavin Browne, Liam McKinney, Conor Gartland, Gavin Browne, Conor O’ Grady, Stephen Gillespie  0-1 each.

Tyrone scorers: Aidy Kelly 0-9,2 '65, 7f; Seamus Sweeney 1-0; Joe McToal 0-3; Lorcan Devlin 0-2; Ben Gormley, Rory Weir, Oran Kee 0-1. 

Donegal: Luke White; Gavin Browne, Stephen McBride, Stephen Gillespie; Ciaran Bradley, Bernard Lafferty, Ciaran Curran; Sean McVeigh, Gerard Gilmore; Josh Cronolly McGee, Brian MacIntyre, Conor Gartland; Conor Grady, Oisin Grant, Liam McKinney.

Subs: Cathal O’Brien for C Bradley (h/t); Sean Ward for J Cronolly McGee ( 54); Ruairi Campbell for MacIntyre (71).   

Tyrone: Conor McElhatton; Seamus Sweeney, Ruari Devlin, Oran McKee; Bryan McGurk, Fionn Devlin, Tuernan Morgan; Bn Gormely, James McConn; Conor Munroe, Aidy Kelly, Joe McToal; Rory Weir, Lorcan Devlin, Turlough Mullin.

Subs: Sean Grogan for T Mullin (h/t); Mark McClean for  R Devlin (65); Dean Rafferty for F Devlin (67)

Referee: Kevin Parke (Antrim)