National Football League Division One A/ Tyrone 1-8; Kerry 1-7: Any description of this match at Healy Park yesterday should come under two headings: extraordinary and curious.
Extraordinary because Tyrone failed to score in the second half and yet won. Curious because of the poisonous atmosphere and roughhouse tactics that persisted even though both sides had secured semi-final places before the throw-in.
Longford referee John Bannon sent off a player from each side - Kerry's Eamonn Fitzmaurice and Steven O'Neill (Tyrone) during the last quarter - besides booking 11 players over the course of the game.
Kerry's second-half display, enriched by the inclusion of a number of substitutes, was almost a carbon copy of Tyrone's first-half performance, the major difference being the holders and All-Ireland champions chalked up a winning score during their time in control.
"We completely dried up in the second half and I can tell you we won't retain the title if we ever perform like that again" said Tyrone manager Mickey Harte. He added: "We were fortunate to top the Division One table and I am happy with that."
Kerry fielded without key players such as Tomás Ó Sé, Séamus Moynihan, Mike Frank Russell and Dara Ó Cinnéide. But players of the calibre of Declan O'Sullivan and Paul Galvin turned in pleasing performances for manager Jack O'Connor.
"I had no need to spell it out for them at half-time," said O'Connor. "They knew they had not done themselves justice. The whole exercise gives us food for thought."
Throughout the first half Tyrone looked hungrier for work;their passing was clinical and they showed a far greater aptitude for finding the loose player.
A clear example of this came 18 minutes in which led to their goal. Midfielder Gerald Cavlan picked out Owen Mulligan, who had got inside the Kerry cover, with a deft pass, and although Mulligan was fouled, he shot to the net.
Referee Bannon did not play the advantage and ordered a penalty which Mark Harte drilled to the net. This gave Tyrone a 1-4 to 0-2 lead, a score which hardly reflected the home side's superior play at this stage.
The industry of the Tyrone team as a whole during that first period was typified by the work rate of corner back Ryan McMenamin and Brian Dooher down the right flank.
Kerry had opened the scoring in the first minute, but failed to add to that score until the 13th minute when Michael Quirke had a point.
With Tyrone holding a 1-8 to 0-3 lead at half-time, and taking into account the disparity in flair between the sides at this stage, a comfortable win seemed the only outcome for the champions.
"Micky Harte told us not to think we had it won at half-time," said McMenamin. "He told us we must keep the scoreboard ticking over. Kerry, to their credit, got men behind the ball in a defensive approach that we used last year.
"We switched off, but at least we know we will need to get our heads down for the next couple of weeks."
Following a few running repairs, Kerry were a rejuvenated side in the second half as almost straight from the throw-in they began to make steady inroads into the deficit, beginning with a Colm Cooper pointed free.
Quirke was proving a handful for Tyrone full back Ciarán Gourley and rose highest to fist over Kerry's sixth point before scoring the visitors' goal 23 minutes into the half, after Paul Galvin had provided the centre after a solo run down the right wing.
This left only a point between the sides but there was no further scoring and the Tyrone supporters could finally breathe a huge sigh of relief and even forgive Mulligan for missing a sitter in injury-time.
TYRONE: J Devine; R McMenamin, C Gourley, M McGee; B Donnelly, G Devlin, P Jordan; S Cavanagh, G Cavlan (0-1); B Dooher (0-1), B McGuigan (0-1), S O'Neill; M Harte (1-1, one free), O Mulligan (0-1, free), E McGinley (0-3). Subs: C Holmes for McGinley (half-time); J McMahon for Jordan (59 mins).
KERRY: D Murphy; T O'Sullivan, M McCarthy, B O'Mahony; R O'Connor (0-1), E Fitzmaurice, J Sheehan; D Daly, S Scanlon; S O'Sullivan (0-1), E Brosnan (0-1), L Hassett; C Cooper (0-1, free), M Quirke (1-2), J Crowley. Subs: M Ó Sé for O'Mahony (19 mins); P Galvin for S O'Sullivan (22); D O'Sullivan (0-1) for Daly (28); R O'Connor for Crowley (59); J Cronin for Quirke (67);
Referee: J Bannon (Longford)
