Tired Tyrone must raise level for Donegal after extra-time win over Cavan - Mattie Donnelly

Mattie Donnelly admitted Tyrone will have their work cut out against Donegal in next weekend's Ulster SFC semi-final after squeezing past Cavan on Sunday.

The Red Hands were nine points up at half-time and eight ahead with 20 minutes remaining but Cavan fought back to force extra-time, with Tyrone eventually winning by the minimum - 1-23 to 3-16.

"We got through it and over the full day probably just did enough but we'll have to go up a few levels now the next week," Donnelly told RTÉ Sport.

"(Donegal) have multiple threats and the way they were running last night [against Derry], the angles and the pace, we have a lot to do to be able to deal with it. We've a lot to work on from top to bottom and not a lot of time to do it.

"When Cavan brought a similar approach to the game today we struggled with it. They are going to give a lot of teams serious bother for the remainder of the year."

"There were probably a few boys that could have put their hands up to go off at the end but we ran out of subs"

Donnelly was playing his first full game since damaging his cruciate ligament and breaking his shin bone at the Kilmacud Sevens last July and wasn't even expecting to play 70 minutes, let alone 90.

"The body is certainly exhausted and will have to recover over the next few days," he said.

"In my own case, I went from not playing more than 30 (minutes) in the last nine months to having to get through that. I didn't know if I had 70 in me. I just said I’d go out and give what I had for as long as I had.

"Everyone was feeling it to some degree and running on empty but you have to find a way. There were probably a few boys that could have put their hands up to go off at the end but we ran out of subs."

The 33-year-old was one of the veterans