Dr McKenna Cup: Donegal edge out Tyrone as Fermanagh beat Antrim

Donegal secured their second win under returning boss Jim McGuinness in the Dr McKenna Cup as they beat Tyrone 0-15 to 1-10 at Healy Park.

Donegal led 0-9 to 0-4 at half-time after missing several goal chances.

Ciaran Daly's goal helped Tyrone fight back to lead but Donegal regrouped to win although their semi-finals spot is in doubt because of a player eligibility issue.

Then 17-year-old Finbarr Roarty played in Wednesday's win over Armagh.

Naomh Conaill youngster Roarty turned 18 on Thursday but competition rules for senior inter-county football state that players must have turned 18 by the start of the calendar year to be eligible to play.

Ulster GAA is expected to meet on Sunday evening to discuss the issue with potential sanctions in addition to forfeiture of the game including a two-week suspension for the player and eight-week ban for those deemed to be in charge of the team.

In Sunday's other game, Fermanagh edged a 1-10 to 1-9 win over Antrim at Ahoghill, with Lee Cullen hitting the Erne County's goal in the first half.

Tyrone name six debutants

At Healy Park, Tyrone handed out six debuts as they trialled an inexperienced line-up in their Section A opener.

That counted against them in the first half, with Peadar Morgan registering Donegal's first point of the game and Patrick McBrearty adding a second soon after with a free.

Jamie Brennan then saw a goal-bound shot cleared off the line, before Brian Kennedy got Tyrone's first score of the game with a mazy run and fist over the crossbar.

A free from Shane O'Donnell re-established Donegal's two-point lead in icy conditions in Omagh, with Brennan again missing another goal chance, hooking wide after a promising move.

He made amends shortly after by finishing off a free-flowing attacking by fisting over the bar.

A close range free from McBrearty and another fisted effort from Brennan after Tyrone were caught in out in attempting to play out from the back, further extended their advantage.

A curled effort from a tight angle from Darragh Canavan then reduced the deficit for the home side.

Brennan spurned one of a number of good goal chances for Donegal in the first half

Jason Magee spurned another chance for a first Donegal goal of the game, as he opted for a point instead of going for goal.

Another McBrearty free moved McGuinness' side to 0-8, before Michael McKernan scored Tyrone's third point with a long-range effort.

Odhran Doherty got a point from play with Peter Harte converting a free with the last kick of the half to make it a five-point game at the interval.

Tyrone, helped by the introduction Conn Kirkpatrick at the break, dominated the beginning of the second period, scoring four unanswered points.

Canavan converted three frees with Harte also scoring one to bring Tyrone to within one point of Donegal.

The away side then missed another glorious chance for a goal as Brennan, Langan and Magee all miscued low efforts close to goal.

Oisin Gallen eventually registered their first score of the second half with a free and they then moved three up before a Niall Devlin score and 'mark' point from Lorcan McGarrity reduced their lead to the minimum once more.

Two late Gallen points help Donegal edge victory

Donegal substitute Oisin Caufield finished off a well-worked move for another point, curling over the bar from an acute angle.

They were then punished for some slack defending, as Tyrone took the lead for the first time in the game.

Substitute Seanie O'Donnell found Ciaran Daly and he punched the ball into the back of the net from close range.

Gallen's free levelled the scoring with O'Donnell then opting to fist the ball over when bearing down on goal to put Donegal back in front.

Gallen then scored another point from play as Donegal saw out the game to seal a narrow victory.

Tyrone will now face Armagh at the Athletic Grounds on Wednesday.

Lee Cullen hit Fermanagh's goal at Ahoghill

At Ahoghill, two Garvan Jones points helped Fermanagh lead 0-5 to 0-1 after 19 minutes and while Benen Kelly then netted for Antrim, Cullen's goal shortly before half-time left the Ernemen 1-6 to 1-2 ahead at the break.

Fermanagh still led by four at 1-9 to 1-5 after 61 minutes but Ryan Lyons' black carding enabled Antrim to fight back as they hit four of the last five score with Eunan Walsh, Joseph Finnegan and Oisin Doherty (two) on target.

However, Diarmuid King's 74th-minute point ultimately proved the winner despite Doherty notching the last point of the game a minute later.

Antrim's defeat ended their interest in the competition after their defeat by Down while it was Fermanagh's first game in Section C with them facing Monaghan next at Brewster Park on Wednesday night.