McKenna Cup returns to Donegal
Donegal 1-11
Tyrone 0-13
Donegal retained their Dr McKenna Cup title for the first time in their history in dramatic style last night in Brewster Park, Enniskillen with a great winning goal in stoppage time by Naomh Bríd’s David Walsh to defeat Mickey Harte’s Tyrone.
It is a huge boost for the North West team who have won back to back titles for the very first time in this competition, which has been run since the late 1920’s
Ace star from the drawn game in Ballybofey two weeks ago, Michael Murphy struggled to reproduce his earlier form and pointed just two frees in the first half of a total of three during the game.
A Colm McFadden free put the Tirchonaill lads ahead for the first time on nine minutes, but each time they took the lead, Tyrone came back up the field and responded.
Level peggings six times in the first half but then points from Tommy McGuigan and Kyle Coney gave Tyrone a two point lead at the interval – 0-9 to 0-7.
Stephen O’Neill was a big injury concern in the second half for both the NFL and Championship campaign of 2010 when he dislocated an elbow and was taken to hospital. At this stage he had just put the Red Hands four points to the good.
And Donegal turned the tide again with vital efforts from Adrian Hanlon, Colm McFadden and David Walsh to go level in the 72nd minute.
Ballintra man Walsh was again on hand when he drove a loose ball to the net deep into stoppage time to win Donegal a second McKenna Cup in a row.
Tyrone scorers: S O’Neill 0-4 (3f), M Penrose 0-3, K Coney, J McMahon, T McGuigan, P Harte, A Cassidy 0-1 each
Donegal scorers: D Walsh 1-2, M Murphy 0-3 (2f), C McFadden (2f), A Hanlon 0-2 each, L McLoone, N Gallagher 0-1 each.
