Allianz Football League Division 1 – Kerry 1-16 Tyrone 2-12

Tyrone 2-12 Kerry 1-16

Report from the RTE web site

Kerry retained their Division 1 status after posting their best performance of the league with a 1-16 to 2-12 win over Tyrone at Healy Park. Tomás Ó Sé’s 32nd-minute goal, and seven points shared between Declan O’Sullivan and Kieran Donaghy, sent wind-assisted Kerry in with a 1-13 to 0-5 interval lead Stephen O’Neill netted for Tyrone, and points from Conor Gormley and Conor Clarke and a Mark Donnelly goal narrowed the gap from 12 to one, but the Kingdom held on for a result that saved their premier status.

With Colm Cooper running the show from centre forward, the Kingdom quickly established control, running at the home side in relentless waves. Jonathan Lyne and Paul Gavlin picked up loose ball at will, and Cooper provided the killer passes that led to scores from Declan O’Sullivan, Kieran Donaghy and Darran O’Sullivan. The Red hands, playing into a strong breeze, were on the back foot for almost the entire first half and, by the 10-minute mark, they trailed by 0-06 to 0-01.

It was an explosive opening from a fired-up Kingdom side, with Cooper setting up Donaghy with immaculate passes, and Declan O’Sullivan steering over a couple of gems. Tomás Ó Sé raided constantly from deep, and brought a terrific save from Niall Morgan, while Lyne smashed a shot against a post. Morgan converted a long-range free to add to Ronan O’Neill’s early score, but Tyrone were putting out fires all over the field. Donaghy, Lyne and Johnny Buckley added to the Kingdom tally, and in the 32nd minute they grabbed the goal they deserved. Darran O’Sullivan squared the ball for the inrushing Ó Sé to punch to the net, and Kerry went in with a massive 1-13 to 0-05 lead.

Tyrone grabbed a lifeline five minutes into the second half, Martin Penrose sending Stephen O’Neill to finish brilliantly to the net, but excellent midfielder Buckley kept Kerry comfortable with two well-taken scores from play. But Tyrone finally found their rythmn in the closing stages of the third quarter, hitting four points on the spin, two of them from substitute defenders Conor Gormley and Conor Clarke. Clarke and Darren McCurry added further scores as Tyrone cut the gap to four, Kerry restricted to sporadic attacks. They went 25 minutes without scoring, before Cooper swung over a 20-metre free to make it a five-points game. But back came Tyrone again and, after Sean Cavanagh had split the posts, Mark Donnelly punched home a stoppage-time goal.

Tyrone: N Morgan (0-01f), A McCrory, Justin McMahon (0-01f), C McCarron, R McKenna, Joe McMahon, R McNamee, C Cavanagh, S Cavanagh (0-02, 1f), P McNeice, P Harte (0-01f), Mark Donnelly (1-00), D McCurry (0-02f), S O’Neill (1-01), R O’Neill (0-01f).

Subs: M Penrose for R O’Neill, C Clarke (0-02) for R O’Neill, C Gormley (0-01) for McNamee, C McGinley for McNeice, C McAliskey for McCurry

Kerry: B Kealy, M Ó Sé, M Griffin, S Enright, T Ó Sé (1-01), E Brosnan, K Young, A Maher, J Buckley (0-03), J Lyne (0-01), C Cooper (0-03, 2f), P Galvin, Declan O’Sullivan (0-04), K Donaghy (0-03), Darran O’Sullivan (0-01).

Subs: B Maguire for Brosnan, K O’Leary, for Darran O’Sullivan, D Walsh for Galvin, B Sheehan for Buckley

Referee: M Duffy (Sligo)

Team News

TYRONE (SF v Kerry): N Morgan; A McCrory, Justin McMahon, C McCarron; R McKenna, Joe McMahon, R McNamee; C Cavanagh, S Cavanagh; P McNiece, P Harte, Mark Donnelly; D McCurry, S O’Neill, R O’Neill

The Kerry Senior Football Team to play Tyrone in Round 7 of the Allianz Football League in Healy Park Omagh on Sunday evening next shows 3 changes in personnel from the side that started in the last Round against Cork. Team Captain, Eoin Brosnan, rested for the game against Cork, returns at centre back while Colm Cooper and Paul Galvin, both of whom were introduced during the course of the Cork game, return in the half forward line. The players to lose out are Brian Maguire, Donnchadh Walsh and Kieran O’Leary.

The team in full is:

1.Brendan Kealy (Kilcummin)

2.Marc Ó Sé (An Gaeltacht)

3.Mark Griffin (St Michaels/Foilemore)

4.Shane Enright (Tarbert)

5.Tomás Ó Sé (An Gaeltacht)

6.Eoin Brosnan (Dr Crokes) (Capt)

7.Killian Young (Renard)

8.Anthony Maher (Duagh)

9.Johnny Buckley (Dr Crokes)

10.Jonathan Lyne (Killarney Legion)

11.Colm Cooper (Dr Crokes)

12.Paul Galvin (Finuge)

13.Declan O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses)

14.Kieran Donaghy (Austin Stacks)

15.Darran O’Sullivan (Glenbeigh/Glencar)

16.Brian Kelly (Killarney Legion)

17.Donnchadh Walsh (Cromane)

18.Kieran O’Leary (Dr Crokes)

19.Brian McGuire (Listowel Emmetts)

20.Fionn Fitzgerald (Dr Crokes)

21.Peter Crowley (Laune Rangers)

22.James O’Donoghue (Killarney Legion)

23.Bryan Sheehan (St Marys)

24.Patrick Curtin (Moyvane)

25.Jack Sherwood (Firies)

26. Michael Geaney (Dingle)

The following players are unavailable for Selection due to injury:

Paul Geaney – Rehabbing Hamstring injury

Aidan O’Mahony – Recovering from nose injury received in training

Other:

David Moran, Michael O’Donoghue and James Walsh have been released from the travelling party to play County League with their Clubs this weekend.

Additional Information:

The team features 11 of the side that took the field in the All Ireland Qtr Final against Donegal (1-12 to 1-10) last August while another two, (Johnny Buckley and Darran O’Sullivan), were introduced as subs during that game. Aidan O’Mahony, Bryan Sheehan, Donnchadh Walsh and James O’Donoghue are the absent four from the starting fifteen on that day.

Mark Griffin from the St Michaels Foilemore Club in South Kerry retains his place at full back having made his full AFL debut against Cork on Sunday last and having come in as an early sub for the injured Aidan O’Mahony the previous weekend against Down. The 22 year old won a Hogan Cup Medal with Coláiste na Sceilge in 2009 when Jack O’Connor managed the side and the same year he won a Munster Minor medal with Kerry and also an All Ireland Intermediate Club title with his Club (came on as a sub in the semi final). He was a member of the Under 21 team for the past 2 years (2011 & 2012).