Tyrone edge Donegal in thrilling finish to end Ulster SFC title drought

Tyrone kicked three added-time points to win their first Ulster senior football title since 2010 with a 0-13 to 0-11 win over Donegal, after a pulsating finish in Clones.

Donegal's Christy Toye looked to have given his side the win when he pointed in the final minute of normal time, but Tyrone kicked on in the six added minutes, and after skipper Sean Cavanagh levelled matters, Peter Harte drilled over the lead score and Kieran McGeary wrapped it up a minute from time.

In the first Ulster final meeting between the sides since 1989 an intriguing tactical battle ensued, with Donegal edging the tussle in the opening 35 minutes.

Both teams paid huge respect to their opponent's defensive set up and, more often than not, elected to shoot from around the 45 metre line before they engaged the mass of bodies that protected the exclusion zone.

It was in this area of the game that Donegal dominated, especially with Ryan McHugh in top form, and he kicked three excellent points in the opening half, all of which came from long range, and that helped Donegal into a 0-7 to 0-4 lead. At the other end Tyrone kicked nine wides before the break.

Ryan McHugh was also instrumental in Donegal's first and last points of the half. After 12 minutes he was fouled by Tiernan McCann and Paddy McBrearty kicked the free - Tyrone were two ahead at that point - and after 29 minutes the same player fouled him again, and McBrearty made it a three-point advantage six minutes before the interval.

That was the last score of the first half, but the real talking points were still to come. In the 33rd minute David Coldrick showed Mattie Donnelly a black card - on the advice of his linesman - for a third man tackle on Eoin McHugh, and in the third minute of added time Cathal McShane also picked up a black card - on the advice of an umpire.

Just ten seconds of the second half had elapsed when McBrearty kicked Donegal's eighth point and they looked heavy favourites at that point. But they then failed to score for the next 21 minutes as Tyrone worked their way back into the game to level when Niall Morgan landed his second long-range free.

In a game of masterful long-range shooting, Odhran Mac Niallais edged Donegal ahead from out the field in the 57th minute, before Sean Cavanagh landed another from wide on the right five minutes later.

The game ebbed and flowed in the last ten minutes as Murphy and Toye both kicked Donegal ahead, only for McCurry and Sean Cavanagh to level it for Tyrone with immediate replies.

And after Murphy missed a free four minutes into added time for the lead, Tyrone kicked for home and Harte and McGeary proved the heroes for the new Ulster champions.

Tyrone: N Morgan (0-2, 2f); A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron (0-1); T McCann, J McMahon, P Harte (0-2); C Cavanagh, M Donnelly; C McShane (0-1), N Sludden (0-1), R McNabb; C McAliskey, S Cavcanagh (0-3), R O'Neill.

Subs: R Brennan (0-1) for Donnelly (35 BC), M Bradley for McShane (35+3 BC), J Munroe for O'Neill (53), D McCurry (0-1) for McAliskey (64), K McGeary (0-1) for McMahon (71).

Donegal: M McGinely; P McGrath, N McGee, C Gillespie; R McHugh (0-3), K Lacey, F McGlynn; R Kavanagh, O Mac Niallais (0-2); A Thompson, E McGee, E McHugh; P McBrearty (0-3, 2f), M Murphy (0-2, 1'45, 1f), M O'Reilly.

Subs: M McElhinney for E McHugh (33-39 blood), M McElhinney for Kavanagh (45), M McHugh for Thompson (53), C Toye (0-1) for McGlynn (64), E Gallagher for Gillespie (67), A Thompson for E McHugh (67), C McFadden for McBrearty (71).

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).