| Donegal too strong for tepid Tyrone
Other counties may have more superstars, get more media attention
or have more trophies but at the half-way stage of the National League
no team has been more impressive than Donegal and they sit on top of the
table after their fourth straight win.
Victory here was never in doubt once Christy Toyte completed a fine passing
move for Donegal to find the net midway through the first-half.
In front of a capacity crowd of 14,000 Donegal proved much too strong
for Mickey Harte’s men. The Tyrone manager said afterwards that
his team “just didn’t perform and we didn’t deserve
anything from the game”.
This result means that Donegal have beaten three of last year’s
provincial champions and a Tyrone side which won the All-Ireland two years
ago.
The players who had plenty of skill but little guile last season have
matured while in Colm McFadden they have found the playmaker they were
sorely lacking last year.
Toye’s goal was complimented by points from Brendan Deveanney and
McFadden as the Green and Golds surged into a 1-8 to 1-2 half-time lead.
Tyrone’s goal came courtesy of Enda McGinley.
Substitute Brian Roper put the result beyond doubt with Donegal’s
second goal at the start of the second-half.
Donegal looked by far the hungrier team throughout. They tend to dominate
the middle-third of the pitch and starve their opponents of possession.
Tyrone look short of ideas and with the exception of the returning Brian
Dooher their big-name players didn’t perform on the day and the
reaction of the Tyrone fans most of whom left long before the final whistle
tells its own story.
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