Kerry 0-9 Tyrone 0-9:Kerry and Tyrone served up a close encounter before a vociferous home crowd at Austin Stack Park on Saturday evening - as they strove to avoid the lower divisions next season.
However, while the game was open in the first half, with Tyrone on top, it was sometimes over-physical in the second as the referee struggled to keep control. And it was a result that neither manager wanted, as it rules both teams out of a Division One semi-final spot.
"A draw does not suit either side in terms of qualification for the play-offs, so I am disappointed that we did not manage to put away those late chances," said Kerry boss Pat O'Shea. "We had enough chances to win the game because normally we would kick them over and it just did not happen."
O'Shea did not think that Kerry played well in the first half, nor did he think it was a particularly good game. "We only scored six points in the opening half and they amassed eight while it took over 20 minutes of the second half before we got a score. It was a perfect night for football, the pitch was in great nick, you would be expecting to put up a bigger score."
O'Shea was happy with some of the newcomers. "Winning the league was never our objective this year, because we always said we were going to use it for blooding new players. Some have done well and it has worked out for them while others will know that more work will have to be done."
Tyrone boss Mickey Harte was happier with his team's display. "I have to say that we hit the ground running as playing Kerry is difficult at any time. I would have to say that it was probably our best league display to date, but we left it slip in the second half. The draw suits us less than Kerry because we have an inferior points difference, but I was proud of the lads.
"Kerry had a few chances that hit the bar, so it could have gone either way. The second half was a war of attrition and the crowd seemed to love it. There is nothing wrong with football and that was a great advertisment for the game."
KERRY: D Murphy; M Ó Sé (0-1), T O'Sullivan, P Reidy; T Ó Sé, A O'Mahony, D Bohane; D Ó Sé, T Griffin; B Sheehan (0-3), E Fitzmaurice, D Galvin; D Quill (0-4, one free), S Scanlon (0-1), M F Russell. Subs: D O'Sullivan for T Griffin; P Galvin for D Walsh; S O'Sullivan for E Fitzmaurice; P O'Connor for MF Russell, M Lyons for P Reidy.
TYRONE: P McConnell; R McMenamin, P Donnelly, C Gourley; D Harte, C Gormley, Justin McMahon; Joe McMahon (0-1), R Mellon; B Dooher, M Penrose (0-1), Ray Mulgrew (0-1); N Gormley (0-2), C McCullagh (0-2, frees), E Mulligan (0-1). Subs: C Kavanagh (0-1) for M Penrose; D McCaul for C Gourley; T McGuigan for E Mulligan; C Holmes for Joe McMahon.
Referee: P McGovern (Galway).
