Tyrone 1-16
Kerry 0-14
Paul Brennan reports from Healy Park
THE MOST BENIGN Tyrone versus Kerry contest in years ended with a friendly handshake and a fully deserved five-point win for the home side that will send Mickey Harte and his players into their Ulster championship preparations with a lighter footstep than Eamonn Fitzmaurice and the Kerry squad.
A Declan McClure goal, in the 67th minute, crowned a polished Tyrone second-half performance in which they outscored Kerry by 1-6 to five points in a game than counted for little other than the middle placings in the Division 1 table.
The first half was a fairly pedestrian affair with Kerry leading most of the way until Tyrone wrestled the lead from them in added on time for a 0-10 to 0-9 interval lead.
It was a one-point lead Tyrone just about deserved for their efforts in the last seven minutes of the half when they hit four unanswered scores and should have had at least one goal when Cathal McShane lashed the ball over the bar with just Brian Kelly to beat in the Kerry goal.
Early Kerry points from Cormac Coffey and Killian Spillane (free) were matched by the very lively Lee Brennan and Ronan O’Neill (free) on the other side inside the first seven minutes, before Kerry moved three points clear with scores from Stephen O’Brien, Daithi Casey and another Spillane free.
The physical exchanges were minimal and the pace fairly pedestrian in that first 20 minutes, before the first meaningful challenge came in the 25th minute with Coffey yellow carded for a high tackle.
Kerry led 0-8 to 0-5 at that stage, and on the half hour mark the visitors led 0-9 to 0-6, but McShane’s point from that great goal chance ignited a four-score volley from Tyrone, which included a long-range free from goalkeeper Niall Morgan, to get the home side to the break ahead by the minimum.
Spillane’s third converted free levelled matters in the 37th minute, and his fourth made it 0-12 apiece by the 45th minute, but there was a better pep in Tyrone’s collective step and they looked the most likely winner at that stage.
Conor Meyler earned them a penalty when hauled down by Tadhg Morley in the 55th minute but Ronan O’Neill managed to screw the spot kick well wide of the goal, with Tyrone 0-14 to 0-12 ahead at that stage.
The Tyrone goal duly arrived in the 67th minute when Peter Harte cut through the Kerry defence and set up McClure for an easy tap into the empty goal to make it 1-16 to 0-12, and it took until added on time before Spillane (free) and Matthew Flaherty got Kerry’s first scores since the 40th minute.
Scorers for Tyrone: Lee Brennan (0-5, 4f), Declan McClure (1-1), Cathal McShane 0-3, Ronan O’Neill 0-3f, Niall Morgan 0-1f, Matthew Donnelly 0-1, Conal McCann 0-1, Kieran McGeary 0-1.
Scorers for Kerry: Killian Spillane 0-5f, Johnny Buckley 0-2, Stephen O’Brien 0-2, Cormac Coffey 0-1, Mikey Geaney 0-1, Micheal Burns 0-1, Daithi Casey 0-1, Matthew Flaherty 0-1.
Tyrone:
1. Niall Morgan (Edendork)
20. Cathal McCarron (Athy)
3. Ronan McNamee (Aghyaran)
4. Aidan McCrory (Errigal Ciarán)
5. Ronan McNabb (Cromore)
6. Frank Burns (Pomeroy)
7. Rory Brennan (Trillick)
22. Kieran McGeary (Pomeroy)
9. Declan McClure (Clonoe)
10. Matthew Donnelly (Trillick)
11. Peter Harte (Errigal Ciarán)
12. Conal McCann (Killyclogher)
13. Lee Brennan (Trillick)
14. Cathal McShane (Eoghan Roe O’Neill)
15. Ronan O’Neill (Omagh)
Subs
26. David Mulgrew (Ardboe) for K McGeary (53 min)
25. Conor Meyler (Omagh) for C McCann (53 min)
2. Padraig Hampsey (Coalisland) for A McCrory (58 min)
8. Connor McAliskey (Clonoe) for (63 min)
23. Michael McKernan (Coalisland) for C Meyler (63 min)
17. Brendan Burns (Pomeroy) for F Burns (68 min)
Kerry:
1. Brian Kelly (Legion)
2. Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht)
3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue)
4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)
5. Cormac Coffey Murphy (Kerins O’Rahillys)
6. Mark Griffin (St Michaels/Foilmore)
7. Mikey Geaney (Dingle)
8. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil)
9. David Moran (Kerins O’Rahillys)
10. Micheál Burns (Dr. Crokes)
11. Dáithí Casey (Dr. Crokes)
12. Kevin McCarthy (Kilcummin)
13. Killian Spillane (Templenoe)
14. Johnny Buckley (Dr. Crokes)
15. Stephen O’Brien (Kenmare)
Subs
22. Eanna Ó Conchuir (An Ghaeltacht) for M Burns (HT)
23. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe) for M Geaney (HT)
25. Brendan O’Sullivan (Valentia) for D Casey (59 min)
20.Matthew Flaherty (Dingle) for J Buckley (68 min)
24. Greg Horan (Austin Stacks) for D Moran (68 min)
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
FairPlay Tyrone better fitter team! Kerry are Septic tho,they haven’t improved One bit Defensively under fitzmauirce,it’s amazing he can’t figure out proper defensive structure as he played Centre back himself,there’s No Plan B with kerry!
Strong finish the league from Tyrone and have put up some big scores in last 3 games. Great to see Lee Brennan finally unleashed this league campaign. An Ulster 3 in a row hopefully now
If Tyrone could tweak their game plan in the championship from last year. they will go a long way.
@Tony Boyle: really think that Tyrone have the required individual quality to play much more open, expansive football.
What’s seen as their biggest strength, their water tight defence, really is their biggest weakness.
Watch any Tyrone game and you’ll see them turn a ball over and then struggle to make anything of it because all their own players are behind the ball. There’s only so many times you can go up and down the pitch, no matter how fit you are.
They’ll probably still be there or thereabouts regardless, but they won’t win an All-Ireland until they make a change.
@Daragh O’Brien: couldn’t agree more. The introduction of Stephen O Neill into the backroom team seems to be to work on a more open expansive brand of football. Hope I’m wrong but still think in a big game Harte will revert to type again
@Daragh O’Brien: 5-43 in last 3 games doesn’t seem like a team struggling once they turnover a ball..