Allianz Football League Division One
Kerry 0-18 Tyrone 1-11
As comfortable a four-point win as Kerry might hope to enjoy for the rest of the season, as they got their league back on track against Tyrone after the malfunction against Dublin the previous week.
Ciaran Daly’s late goal lent a level of respectability to the final score from Tyrone’s point of view, but once Kerry went from a level score in the 25th minute to a five-point lead at half time, the Kingdom won this game in Killarney at their ease.
That 10-point drubbing from the Dubs the previous week was always going to elicit a response from Kerry, but it seemed a bit of a fracas mid-way through the first half was the catalyst for Kerry to kick on.
Tyrone led 0-3 to 0-2 at that stage, but Kerry responded.
Sean O’Shea had a close-range shot on goal in the ninth minute smartly saved by Niall Morgan, but the visitors were good value for that slim lead after the first quarter, with Ciaran Daly, Seanie O’Donnell and Darren McCurry notching their scores.
Subsequently, Sean O’Shea kicked a swift equaliser for Kerry, and they sides were still inseparable at 0-5 apiece after 25 minutes. And then Kerry rediscovered their mojo.
Scores from David Clifford (2), Paudie Clifford and Adrian Spillane put the home side 0-11 to 0-6 ahead at half time, and already there was a sense that Tyrone’s early energy and directness was ebbing away.
Two early second half frees from David Clifford increased Kerry’s lead, and by the 59th minute, when Dara Moynihan pointed, the home side were nine ahead, 0-17 to 0-8, and coasting to victory.
Some sloppy Kerry defending allowed Daly latch on to the ball and swipe his shot past Shane Ryan for the game’s only goal, and when Ruairi Canavan’s point cut the deficit to four points, Kerry had to sharpen themselves in the closing minutes to see it out, which they did.
The result moves Kerry above the Red Hand county in the divisional standings, with the Kingdom now into fourth place – behind Mayo and Dublin on scoring difference, and leaders Derry – and still well in contention of reaching the league final.
After next weekend’s break, Kerry will head into what they can consider are winnable games away to Roscommon and home to Galway, where four points might be good enough to send them to a League final.
Tyrone play Monaghan next, where a win might be enough to keep them in the top division, and they might need to get those points there seeing as they go to Croke Park to face Dublin in their final game.
Scorers for Kerry: D Clifford 0-8 (6f), S O’Shea 0-4 (2f), P Clifford 0-3, S O’Brien 0-1, A Spillane 0-1, D Moynihan 0-1.
Scorers for Tyrone: C Daly 1-1, D Canavan 0-3, D McCurry 0-2 (1f), N Morgan 0-1 (‘45’), B Cullen 0-1, S O’Donnell 0-1, C Kilpatrick 0-1, R Canavan 0-1.
Kerry: Shane Ryan, Graham O’Sullivan, Jason Foley, Paul Murphy, Seán O’Brien, Tadhg Morley, Gavin Whitie, Diarmuid O’Connor, Joe O’Connor, Adrian Spillane, Paudie Clifford, Conor Geaney, David Clifford, Seán O’Shea, Dara Moynihan.
Subs: Tony Brosnan for C Geaney (ht), Ronan Buckley for A Spillane (52), Stefan Okunbor for S O’Brien (61), Stephen O’Brien for D Moynihan (62), Darragh Roche for P Clifford (67), D Casey for J Foley (temp, 70-ft).
Tyrone: Niall Morgan, Conall Devlin, Pádraig Hampsey, Cormac Quinn, Ben Cullen, Peter Harte, Niall Devlin, Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick, Ciarán Daly, David Mulgrew, Joe Oguz, Darren McCurry, Darragh Canavan, Seánie O’Donnell.
Subs: Ruairi Canavan for Harte (22), Kieran McGeary for D Mulgrew (39), Aodhan Donaghy for C Kilpatrick (inj, 42), Cathal McShane for D Canavan (62), Lorcan McGarrity for D McCurry (67).
