Donegal stormed past Tyrone in the closing stages of an exciting quarter-final replay at wet and windy Ballybofey - 0-18 to 1-9.

With the fourth semi-final berth in the last-ever Ulster U21 football championship up for grabs, the outcome of this epic derby contest was very much in the melting pot with 26 minutes played as the hosts led by just two points, but a run of four unanswered scores from Cian Mulligan, the excellent Michael Langan, Dara O Baoill and Caolan McGonagle finally settled the issue, with 3,627 hardy souls braving the elements on a horrible night for football at Donegal GAA's impenetrable fortress.

Continuing where they left off seven days ago, the sides couldn't be separated during the opening half hour and went in level at the break, 1-5 to 0-8, with Ryan Coleman netting the game's only goal for Tyrone towards the end of the opening quarter.

Donegal midfielder Langan and Tyrone wing back Liam Rafferty swapped the first two points before converted frees from top scorer Langan and Adam Neely fired the winners into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after eight minutes.

Senior star Lee Brennan replied but Michael Carroll immediately hit back to make it double scores. Stephen McBrearty cancelled out Michael McKernan's strike as the scores continued to flow and the teams produced some high quality football in the most demanding of conditions.

The Red Hands took the lead for the first time when Coleman - a late addition to their starting XV at full forward - drilled a powerful shot to the net, 1-3 to 0-5. The hosts were level five minutes later through Langan (free) but Rafferty and Coleman replied for the visitors only for Mulligan and Jamie Brennan to close the first-half scoring with a pair of Donegal points.

Two converted Langan frees gave the winners the ideal start to the second half - and a lead they would not subsequently relinquish - but they suffered a potential setback when the No.8's 37^th-minute penalty was saved by visiting goalkeeper Benny Gallen after Nathan Donnelly had pulled one back.

Jamie Brennan and Langan had three between the sides at the three-quarters stage before Brennan and Carroll replied to Ben O'Donnell's point to make it 0-14 to 1-7 with just twelve minutes left. The last two Tyrone points of the night from David Mulgrew and Emmett McNabb left just two points between the sides with less than five minutes left but Declan Bonner's men produced a terrific surge at the end to advance to a semi-final meeting with Cavan next week.

Donegal - D Rodgers; C Morrison, S McMenamin, B McCole; D O Baoill (0-1), E Ban Gallagher, C Mulligan (0-2); T McClenaghan, M Carroll (0-2); C McLaughlin, A Neely (0-1f), N Friel; S McBrearty (0-1), M Langan (0-7, 6f), J Brennan (0-3). Subs: C McGonagle (0-1) for A Neely, K Gillespie for N Friel, E O'Donnell for C McLaughlin, C Bonner for T McClenaghan, R Carr for M Carroll, D Monagle for C Mulligan.

Tyrone - B Gallon; N Kelly, P Teague, C Shields; L Rafferty (0-3), M McKernan (0-1), F Meenagh; B O'Donnell (0-1), C Kilpatrick; M O'Neill, D Mulgrew (0-1), N Donnelly; L Brennan (0-1), R Coleman (1-1), P Donaghy. Subs: C McLernon for R Coleman, E McNabb (0-1) for M O'Neill, J Harkin for L Rafferty, P McGirr for C Kilpatrick, C McGlinchey for P Teague (BC), B Kennedy for P Donaghy.

Referee - A McNally.

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