Ruthless Kingdom set the record straight

Adam Moynihan reports from Croke Park, Dublin

ALL-IRELAND SFC QUARTER-FINAL Kerry 2-18 | Tyrone 0-12

Defending champions Kerry hammered bitter rivals Tyrone in Croke Park on Saturday last as second-half goals by Diarmuid O’Connor and Seánie O’Shea contributed to an emphatic 12-point win. Those strikes by the excellent O’Connor and O’Shea were important but the victory was built on the foundation of a clean sheet, with Jason Foley and Tadhg Morley imperious in defence.

Jack O’Connor’s men will now face Ulster opposition again in the semi-final. After seeing off Cork in their quarter-final tie, Derry have the potential to provide Kerry with their sternest test to date.

Business

Kerry meant business from the off against Tyrone and in the 14th minute, a mark by David Clifford, following an interception by Diarmuid O’Connor and an assist by Gavin White, opened up a three-point lead (0-4 to 0-1). Darren McCurry pulled one back from a free be- fore Tom O’Sullivan sauntered forward and floated over an OOTB effort from just inside the 45.

Tyrone reacted well, however, and three straight points by Ruairí Canavan (two) and Darragh Canavan levelled the scores with 21 minutes played.

David Clifford wasn’t at his proficient best in terms of shooting but the Munster champions still finished the half in the ascendency as points by Paudie Clifford and the impressive O’Connor, as well as two David Clifford frees, saw them re-establish that three-point lead by half-time (0-9 to 0-6).

Winning

The third quarter proved to be the winning and losing of the match. Kerry, playing into the Hill 16 end, flew out of the traps and racked up 1-5 without reply. The goal came in the 52nd minute via Man of the Match Diarmuid O’Connor, who gathered Tony Brosnan’s fisted pass and calmly stroked it home.

That made it an 11-point game and already you felt as though Tyrone had one eye on the road home.

The Red Hand county eventually got off the mark for the second half in the 54th minute – McCurry with another free –and substitute Cathal McShane made it 1-14 to 0-8. David Clifford (his only point from play) and Mattie Donnelly then exchanged scores, before Seánie O’Shea put the exclamation point on the end of Kerry’s performance with a 61st-minute goal.

The assist from Tony Brosnan and finish by O’Shea were nice but they weren’t quite as nice as the assist to the assist.

When Paudie Clifford fed his brother David with a pass down the line in front of the Hogan Stand, it appeared as though the younger sibling was in trouble. With the ball bouncing high, close to the sideline and with Tyrone defenders Pádraig Hampsey and Ronan McNamee closing in, the Footballer of the Year was in danger of getting smashed into Row F.

What happened next drew oohs and aahs from those in attendance. Clifford quickly tapped the ball down to his boot and volleyed a high, looping pass, out of reach of his opponents, all of 35 metres down the pitch and into the waiting arms of the unmarked Brosnan. It was a spectacular piece of skill that will live long in the memory. Even when he’s not at his best, he still manages to exude greatness.

The final 15 minutes or so counted for little as Kerry maintained their 12-point advantage. They march on to the final four with another All-Ireland appearance firmly in their sights.

KERRY: S Ryan; G O’Sullivan, J Foley, T O’Sullivan (0-1); P Murphy, T Morley, G White; D O’Connor (1-2), J Barry; D Moynihan, S O’Shea (1-5, 2f, 1 ‘45), A Spillane (0-2); P Clifford (0-1), D Clifford (0-5, 3f, 1m), P Geaney (0-1).

Subs: S O’Brien for Spillane; T Brosnan for Geaney; B Ó Beaglaoich for White; M Burns for Moynihan, M Breen for Foley.

TYRONE: N Morgan; M McKernan (01), R McNamee, P Hampsey; C Quinn, M O’Neill, P Harte; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; C Meyler, R Canavan (0-2), K McGeary; D McCurry (0-4f), M Donnelly (0-1), D Canavan (0-2).

Subs: F Burns for Quinn, C McShane (02) for R Canavan, J Oguz for McGeary; S O’Donnell for M Donnelly; A Clarke for Hampsey.