Strong-finishing Tyrone are into the last four after coming from four points down to defeat Donegal by 2-17 to 1-13 at Ballybofey.

With 53 minutes played in this high-stakes winner-takes-all Super 8s encounter, the Ulster champions looked to be on course for a semi-final date with Monaghan next weekend, leading by 1-11 to 0-10 after a Paddy McGrath point, but they faded badly as the visitors outscored them by 2-7 to 0-2 in the last quarter to advance.

Donegal boasted a 21-match unbeaten record at MacCumhaill Park and hadn't lost to the Red Hands here in 45 years, but a contribution of 2-5 from the bench saw Mickey Harte's men over the line - including goals from Harry Loughran and Declan McClure as well as four points from the excellent Lee Brennan.

Seconds into injury time at the end of the first half, Ryan McHugh latched onto a dangerous Niall Morgan short kick-out down the middle and hand-passed to Michael Murphy, who planted a shot to the top left corner of the Tyrone net for his first championship goal since the 2002 All-Ireland final. That score assured Declan Bonner's charges of a 1-6 to 0-6 interval lead that had seemed highly unlikely moments earlier as a dour half of football unfolded.

Captain Mattie Donnelly's 18^th-minute point had the Red Hands ahead by double scores, 0-4 to 0-2, but Ryan McHugh replied five minutes later and Ciaran Thompson's dubious 24^th-minute strike off his left (after a clear double-hop) had the sides level for the second time, 0-4 apiece.

Tiernan McCann and Murphy (free) traded the first two scores and points from Mark Bradley - a late addition to the starting XV - and Connor McAliskey made it 0-3 to 0-1 before the hosts replied via a converted Murphy '45.

Excellent points at either end from Colm Cavanagh and Jamie Brennan kept the scores level with nine minutes left before the break. Brennan fisted his second point on the stroke of 35 minutes and Murphy's major accrued from the resultant restart as a Tyrone man called for the kick-out but then hesitated and allowed McHugh to pick his pocket.

In the fifth added minute at the end of the opening period, McAliskey whipped over a free for his side's first score in 15 minutes and Murphy's goal separated the sides at the interval.

Michael Langan and Peter Harte (free) shared the first two scores of the second half but Odhran MacNiallais's superb point restored the four-point differential on 40 minutes only for game-changing substitute Brennan to hit back instantly with a brace. But MacNiallais swept over his second - 1-9 to 0-9 after 43 minutes.

With 23 minutes left, Jamie Brennan tapped over his third point, which was cancelled out by visiting midfielder Padraig Hampsey. Corner back McGrath restored the losers' four-point advantage midway through the second half after Donegal had repelled a couple of Tyrone goal chances.

Then came an unbroken 1-3 salvo... A Brennan free ensured that just the goal separated the sides with 16 minutes left and Hampsey followed up with a superb Red Hands point after a turnover and rapid counter-attack. Sub Kieran McGeary struck the third unanswered Tyrone point and they hit the front in dramatic fashion in the 62^nd minute when another replacement, Loughran, got on the end of a clever McCann handpass, diving in to palm the ball to the net - 1-13 to 1-11!

When Eoghan Ban Gallagher got forward to halve the Tir Chonail deficit, Mattie Donnelly replied with a steadying 66^th-minute strike. Morgan pumped over a free in the 68^th minute as the Red Hands moved three ahead and Brennan fired his fourth point over the bar with the net gaping on the stroke of 70 minutes

Niall O'Donnell pulled one back in the second minute of additional time but full back Ronan McNamee replied with the winners' 17^th point on 74 minutes. On the break, they were queuing up and McClure rolled the ball to the Donegal net in the twelfth of seven added minutes to complete a magnificent recovery from Mickey Harte's men.

They'll now face another neighbouring county, Monaghan, in Croke Park in seven days' time with a place in the All-Ireland final up for grabs. The Farney men knocked Tyrone out of this year's Ulster championship and also beat them in the league - but the Red Hands have proven to be their bogey team at HQ.

Tyrone - N Morgan (0-1f); M McKernan, R McNamee (0-1), F Burns; T McCann (0-1), M Donnelly (0-2), P Harte (0-1f); C Cavanagh (0-1), P Hampsey (0-2); C Meyler, C McShane, N Sludden; C McAliskey (0-2f), M Bradley (0-1), R Donnelly. Subs: R Brennan for M McKernan (BC), K McGeary (0-1) for F Burns, L Brennan (0-4, 1f) for R Donnelly, H Loughran (1-0) for C McAliskey, C McCann for C McShane, D McClure (1-0) for N Sludden.

Donegal - S Patton; S McMenamin, N McGee, P McGrath (0-1); E Ban Gallagher (0-1), L McLoone, F McGlynn; H McFadden, O MacNiallais (0-2); M Langan (0-1), M  Murphy (1-2, 0-1f, 0-1'45), R McHugh (0-1); J Brennan (0-3), C Thompson (0-1), E Doherty. Subs: P Brennan for C Thompson, N O'Donnell (0-1) for O MacNiallais, A Thompson for F McGlynn, M McElhinney for M Langan, M O'Reilly for L McLoone, M McHugh for P McGrath.

Referee - J McQuillan.

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