The Division 2 champions have now got three Championship victories under their belts and are on course to lift the Anglo-Celt Cup for the first time since 1992, the year of their one and only All-Ireland triumph.

Jim McGuinness' side had to come from 0-6 to 0-1 down against Tyrone and the first-year manager, going up against master tactician Mickey Harte, was pleased with the belief and composure shown by his players.

"Well we certainly can't complain about winning, but I'd be very disappointed with a lot of our play, and certainly the lack of composure in the first half," he remarked, when giving his post-match reaction.

"Tyrone got the run at us, and it was vintage Tyrone as well, the way they took they game to us, stretched the play all the time, used the ball intelligently, and asked the questions of our defenders.

"They really were exceptional, so to go into the break just two points down (0-6 to 0-4) really was a bonus. We were doing all the opposite to Tyrone.

"It was important just to get back to our tactics, and forget about Tyrone, and the place in the final. When we finally did that we got the bit of joy in the second half. We started to get some longer ball into the forwards, and found some better shape and composure. And more than anything better belief."

The momentum of the game changed with Colm McFadden's 56th-minute goal, and Tyrone were really up against it when midfielder Kevin Hughes was dismissed for a second yellow card.

The Red Hands, who also had to replace a concussed Joe McMahon, fought back to level the tie through Martin Penrose, but Donegal substitute Molloy tucked away the match-winning goal to make it Donegal's day.

McGuinness continued: "The goal was always going to make a huge difference, and thankfully Colm McFadden and Dermot Molloy showed great composure in the way they finished, and that’s what got us through. It wasn’t a great game, but it was a real pressure cooker, and hopefully getting the result the way we did will stand to us going into the Ulster final."

Tyrone boss Harte agreed that his side's failure to capitalise on their scoring chances in the opening 35 minutes came back to haunt them in the end.

"We lost the game in the first half, never mind the goal chances. The scoring statistics say we had 18 scoring chances and got six. Donegal had five scoring chances and got four," he explained.

"You don't need any other statistics than that. That is the story of the game in a nutshell. They were much more economical with the chances that they created.

"The sending off didn't help us but we would have done well to have got a draw. They got their second goal which was maybe inevitable when you are throwing caution to the wind trying to get that winning score. That can happen and it happened today and we have to live with it."

Harte will now plan for Tyrone's first tilt at the back-door route since they lifted the Sam Maguire Cup for the third time back in 2008.

"The last time we were there (in the All-Ireland qualifiers), it didn't do us any harm, so maybe that's a good omen," he quipped, ahead of their second round trip to Longford on Saturday week.