In the stultifying heat, Tyrone secured a win with 1-14 against 0-23 for Donegal, and in Leinster, Kildare beat Westmeath to secure a place in the provincial final, while Dublin beat Meath, despite the Royal County closing the gap to just six points at the end.
Tyrone beat Donegal to secure an Ulster football final spot against Monaghan in two weeks. The teams had been level six times in the first-half, in the broiling heat of Co Fermanagh. However, with just three minutes to half-time, Michael Murphy got a black card, in what may become a gamechanger. Murphy had earlier missed a penalty, awarded after a foul on Ciaran Thompson by Tyrone's Rory Brennan.
As the whistle blew for the first half, Tyrone lead by 0-9 to 0-8.
Michael Murphy misses a penalty for Donegal in an eventful first half. He has since been sent off.
Watch live on @rte2 or highlights on #sundaygame from 9.30pm pic.twitter.com/RzVsOUjtcb
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 18, 2021
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In the second-half Tyrone moved into a higher gear and gradually stretched out a lead to end the match with 1-14 against 0-23 for Donegal.
Monaghan await Tyrone after yesterday surviving a serious fightback from Armagh g to win their Ulster Senior Football Championship semi-final by two points. The final score in Newry was 4-17 to 2-21 with Conor McManus, Jack McCarron, Michael Bannigan and Darren Hughes all finding the back of the net in the first-half for Seamus McEnaney's side.
In Leinster, the line-up for the final will also be decided today, with Kildare progressing to meet the winners of Dublin and Meath, which throws in at 4.30pm.
Kildare stretched ahead in the early match, winning by 2-14 against 0-18 for Westmeath. However, Westmeath had several changes to level the game, even in the final few minutes.
Leinster Senior Football Championship Semi-Final.
Full Time
KILDARE: 2-14(20)
WESTMEATH: 0-18(18)Kildare have now advanced to the Leinster Senior Football Final.
Well done to the team and management
— Kildare GAA (@KildareGAA) July 18, 2021
Later in the afternoon Dublin faced Meath, with the Dubs opening the scoring with a point by Con O'Callaghan in the first three minutes.
By half-time the Dubs had extended the lead to 2-11 against 0-6 for Meath, courtesy of a 14th minute penalty taken by Cormac Costello and a goal by O'Callaghan. A second-half comeback by Meath, that included a goal by Mathew Costello, wasn't quite enough to cause any dramatic upsets and the match finished with Dublin 2-16, Meath 1-13.
It means Dublin will face Kildare in the Leinster football final on August 1st.
