Football League, Division One: Tyrone 2-13 Donegal 1-10

Niall Sludden's goal on the stroke of half-time gave Tyrone a lead that they never relinquished at Healy Park

Goals either side of half-time by Niall Sludden and Mark Bradley earned Tyrone a crucial Division One Football League win over Donegal at Omagh.

Both teams went into the Healy Park contest on two points from four games.

After starting without injured Patrick McBrearty, Donegal led 0-6 to 0-3 but Sludden's goal of the stroke of half-time put Tyrone 1-5 to 0-7 ahead.

Bradley's goal after the restart helped Tyrone lead by seven and they held on despite Odhran MacNiallais's goal.

Midfielder MacNiallais opened the scoring for an attack-minded Donegal side, who played with the wind in the opening period, and when he added a second, a monster effort from 50 metres, Donegal led by 0-3 to 0-1 after six minutes.

Donegal were ahead by double scores, 0-6 to 0-3, by the end of the opening quarter as Michael Murphy converted his second free, but the absence of top scorer McBrearty was to prove a huge handicap.

Tyrone were awarded a penalty for goalkeeper Shaun Patton's foul on Sludden, but Peter Harte sent his shot wide, with referee David Coldrick compounding the Red Hands' frustration by not black-carding the Donegal custodian for hauling down the forward.

However, two minutes later, Tyrone did hit the net, and it was Sludden who finished low past Patton to put the Red Hands in front for the first time, ahead by 1-5 to 0-7 at the break.

And they grabbed a second goal less than two minutes into the second half, a delightful Bradley side-step wrong-footing Leo McLoone, and sending the Killyclogher man through to plant the ball in the net for a four points advantage.

Connor McAliskey (2) and goalkeeper Niall Morgan tagged on scores from frees, and Tyrone now held a seven points lead, 2-8 to 0-7.

But Donegal got themselves right back in the game with a 53rd-minute goal, Jamie Brennan making an incisive run, before Eoghan Ban Gallagher crossed for MacNiallais to palm to the net.

Substitute Stephen McBrearty slotted over a score to leave a goal between the sides, and they had another positive spell which saw Hugh McFadden narrow the gap further.

Going into the final ten minutes, Donegal trailed by just two, but the Red Hands dominated that closing spell, hitting the last four points of the game, through Brennan (2), McShane and Harte to claim two important points.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE FIXTURES/RESULTS

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Division One

HURLING LEAGUE FIXTURES

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Division Two A

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