Donegal made it two wins from two in the Dr McKenna Cup after edging out Tyrone by 0-15 to 1-10 at a fog-engulfed O’Neills Healy Park, Omagh this afternoon.

Oisin Gallen (2) and Shane O’Donnell sent over the points down the home stretch that secured the victory for Jim McGuinness’s men.

The visitors had dominated large portions of the first-half to the point where Paddy McBrearty’s free saw them leading 0-8 to 0-2 after 24 minutes.

Michael Kernan and Peter Harte pulled back points for Tyrone before half-time (0-9 to 0-4) and Darragh Canavan and Harte helped the Red Hands hit the ground running after the turnaround to narrow the margin down to one by the 45th minute.

Donegal kept their noses in front until Ciaran Daly’s 58th minute goal surged their neighbours in front, but it was Gallen and O’Donnell that came up big for the hosts in the closing 10 minutes to secure a win and semi-final berth for the Tir Chonaill men.

In Ahoghill, Fermanagh got their first win of the new season by holding off Antrim on a 1-10 to 1-9 scoreline.

After a sluggish start that saw them fall 0-5 to 0-1 behind, the Saffrons got themselves right back in the game with a Benen Kelly goal on 21 minutes.

The margin between the sides stood at one before Lee Cullen found the Antrim net a minute before half-time, as the scoreboard read 1-6 to 1-2 at the break, and after the change of end the hosts proceeded to close gap.

Luke Mulholland’s ‘45’ was backed up by a Marc Jordan point and, despite falling behind by four after that, the points of Eunan Walsh and Oisin Doherty would leave two in it headed towards injury-time.

Joseph Finnegan sent another over Fermanagh’s crossbar to keep the heat on, but Diarmuid King would provide what proved the insurance point for the Ernesiders in the fourth added minute as Oisin Doherty’s free at the other end proved only consolation for the Glensmen.

Well done to @Deckymcc11 on his Man of the Match preference in the @UlsterGAA @BankofIrelandUK Dr McKenna Cup @AontroimGAA v Fermanagh pic.twitter.com/WSeXeFG6is

— Fermanagh GAA (@FermanaghGAA) January 7, 2024

Tweet

Most Read Stories