Peter Canavan laments Tyrone's inability to punish Donegal

Former Tyrone star Peter Canavan believes his native county will rue Sunday's Ulster SFC defeat to Donegal, with the Tír Chonaill men failing to hit the heights achieved a week earlier in their shock win over league kingpins Derry.

Donegal proved profligate in front of the posts at Celtic Park, registering 15 wides in a tight game at Celtic Park, but Canavan opined that playing a second extra-time encounter in as many weeks, allied to injuries and a depleted bench, impacted Tyrone's ability to capitalise on chinks in Donegal's armour.

The two sides were level on nine occasions, with Jim McGuinness's charges eventually prevailing by 0-18 to 0-16 after the match had finished 0-14 apiece in normal time.

"The Cavan boys had something to do with that last week, the fact that the game did go to extra time," the RTÉ analyst told viewers of The Sunday Game. "And not only that, we had two players injured, one last week and another during training this week.

"That meant that our bench was weakened, and the bench needed to be used much better today than it was because a lot of those Tyrone players, I thought from half-time on, you could see the difference.

"A number of the Tyrone players were beginning to tire badly and it gave Donegal the impetus to drive forward.

"So from a Tyrone perspective, immense disappointment. Donegal were built up after last week, it was a great chance to get at them, and I don't think they played anywhere near the level that they played last week against Derry.

"When Tyrone reflect and look back on that, it will be one that they definitely let slip.

"They were in really good positions at different times in the game – half-time, midway through the second half, even in extra time. Their game management at key