WHATEVER ANGST TYRONE teams have caused Kerry on previous big football days in Croke Park was forgotten here.
This was a game where Kerry unleashed their best performance of 2023 in a most timely fashion, blowing Tyrone away to storm into the All-Ireland semi-finals.
An utterly dominant second half performance, underpinned by goals from Diarmuid O’Connor and Seán O’Shea, saw Kerry over the finish line with ease.
The game concluded with red cards being brandished on both sides, Kerry’s Paudie Clifford and Tyrone’s Conor Meyler both sent-off after seeing yellow for the second time.
The dismissal could not detract from how good a day’s work this was for Kerry. They were hugely impressive at the back with their defensive structure swallowing up the attacking threats Tyrone posed, only shipping six points apiece in either half. Diarmuid O’Connor departed with the man-of-the-match honour, combining with Jack Barry to create a strong midfield platform for Kerry.
Up front Seán O’Shea picked off 1-5 and David Clifford chipped in with 0-5. They served notice of their intentions early on, both posting points on the board in the opening twelve minutes as Kerry surged ahead 0-4 to 0-1. Tyrone’s best period followed, a trio of stunning points from the Canavan brothers, Ruarí with two and Darragh with one, as they drew level at 0-5 apiece.
It didn’t rock Kerry back. They steadied themselves to reel off the last three points of the half courtesy of Clifford (2) and O’Connor. The 0-9 to 0-6 advantage was a reflection of how the game was unfolding on their terms and they emerged in the third quarter to blow Tyrone away. Five points on the bounce had stretched the gap to eight and left Tyrone badly struggling.
Then Kerry crashed home the first goal of the game. Dara Moynihan feeding Tony Brosnan who spilled possession but managed to palm the break into the path of O’Connor. The Na Gaeil man had the composure to sidestep and finish to the net.
52 minutes in, Kerry 1-14 to 0-6 clear. This game was done as a contest.
Tyrone produced some consolation scores late on, Cathal McShane bouncing off the bench to grab a pair of points. But the control Kerry were exerting never dipped. They raised a green flag for a second time, Seán O’Shea providing the finish in the 61st minute, a demonstration of composure to evade goalkeeper Niall Morgan and the covering defence, that was reminiscent of O’Connor’s earlier strike.
It was a goal that owed much to David Clifford’s extraordinary vision as he kept the ball in play to punt a pass into Tony Brosnan and the Dr Crokes man squared his handpass to O’Shea.
There could have been further joy for Kerry in front of goal but for Morgan’s shot-stopping skills, the Edendork netminder tipping away efforts by Paul Geaney and David Clifford at different junctures.
That profligacy by Kerry didn’t matter. This was a performance of impressive quality that sends them bounding towards the last four, Tyrone left to nurse regrets for the winter after such a tame display.
Scorers for Kerry: Seán O’Shea 1-5 (0-2f, 0-1 ’45), David Clifford 0-5 (0-3f, 0-1 mark), Diarmuid O’Connor 1-2, Adrian Spillane 0-2, Paudie Clifford 0-1, Tom O’Sullivan 0-1, Paul Geaney 0-1, Stephen O’Brien 0-1.
Scorers for Tyrone: Darren McCurry 0-4 (0-4f), Ruairí Canavan 0-2, Darragh Canavan 0-2, Cathal McShane 0-2, Michael McKernan 0-1, Matthew Donnelly 0-1.
1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)
2. Graham O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), 3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue), 4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)
5. Paul Murphy (Dingle), 6. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe), 7. Gavin White (Dr Crokes)
8. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil), 9. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil)
10. Dara Moynihan (Spa), 11. Sean O’Shea (Kenmare Shamrocks), 12. Adrian Spillane (Templenoe)
13. Paudie Clifford (Fossa), 14. David Clifford (Fossa), Paul Geaney (Dingle)
Subs
1. Niall Morgan (Edendork)
3. Ronan McNamee (Aghyaran), 4. Padraig Hampsey (Coalisland), 10. Conor Meyler (Omagh)
7. Peter Harte (Errigal Ciarán), 2. Michael McKernan (Coalisland), 6. Michael O’Neill (Ardboe)
8. Brian Kennedy (Derrylaughan), 9. Conn Kilpatrick (Edendork)
12. Kieran McGeary (Pomeroy), 11. Ruairí Canavan (Errigal Ciarán), 5. Cormac Quinn (Errigal Ciarán),
13. Darren McCurry (Edendork), 14. Matthew Donnelly (Trillick), 15. Darragh Canavan (Errigal Ciaran)
Subs
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)
Written by Fintan O’Toole and posted on the42.ie
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