KERRY MADE IT through to their sixth consecutive All-Ireland semi-final, but they had to work for it until the very last second as Tyrone clawed with their fingernails through this extreme test.
When Darren McCurry clipped over his tenth point, there was only one in it. Tyrone had hunted down the Kingdom all evening but when you have David Clifford on your team, anything is possible.
He was involved in the final play twice. His second involvement was to slip off a pass from an acute angle to substitute Armin Heinrich who found the bottom corner of the Tyrone net, with no time left to respond.
McCurry was introduced on 44 minutes. Against Mayo, he was brought on and scored six points a fortnight ago. Here, he inhabited another world altogether as he scored 10 points in all; two of them from two-point frees.
Darren McCurry. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Despite his immense contribution, Kerry had an attack that was on fire. When David Clifford helped himself to 1-4 in the first half, Dylan Geaney was outstanding in the second with 0-6, including two two-pointers from play.
For Tyrone to keep this game live, they needed to go for two-pointers. Ciaran Daly had the first attempt in the first few attacks, and it flew wide. On six minutes, Conn Kilpatrick landed one from distance.
Others were to follow from Ethan Jordan and Kieran McGeary. McGeary’s was particularly impressive as a minute before he had made a superb covering tackle after a Niall Morgan short kickout landed in the grateful arms of Paul Geaney who was stripped immediately.
But they knew that they had a job of work containing David Clifford. Who doesn’t?
For this assignment, Red Hands manager Malachy O’Rourke opted for Cormac Quinn.
The go-to marker for Errigal Ciaran had a difficult first 20 minutes. Clifford was off the mark on eight minutes when he let a pass roll through his legs before spinning round to chip the ball up and loft his first score over.
Two more points would follow and on 20 minutes a loose ball from Gavin White was looking like it would be cut out by Quinn. Clifford stretched to deny him the steal and after a bounce, finished cooly to the top corner beyond Niall Morgan.
At that point, they changed tack and sent Niall Devlin in on the Fossa man.
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Further points from Seanie O’Donnell, Ronan Cassidy, a Mattie Donnelly special kept them in touch. This was going to be a rigorous assessment of Kerry and no mistake as they headed into the break Kerry ahead 1-11 to 0-12.
With ‘In The Name Of Love’ blasting out, Jack O’Connor held his Kerry players back for the start of the second half.
The half was slow to get going but when Malachy O’Rourke turned to Darren McCurry to come on, the energy shifted.
McCurry opened with a two-point free, one from play and another two-pointer from a free when he moved the ball out beyond the two-point arc.
From then on, he couldn’t be stopped. Always a confidence player, he hit 0-10 all in, over the course of half an hour and Kerry were forced to send in Evan Looney to replace Paul Murphy in an attempt to staunch the flow.
Two of Kerry’s first three scores in the second half were two pointers; Dylan Geaney from play and David Clifford from a free when the ball was moved up from a midfield mark.
Apart from a period when the game was yet to get up and running, Tyrone hadn’t had the lead. Clifford’s score here had them five points up.
They were to narrow that lead to a single point on no fewer than five occasions throughout the second half but the fact they couldn’t, says it all about Kerry’s ability to answer any momentum pushing them back.
Niall Morgan contests a Kerry kickout. Bryan Keane
Bryan Keane
The defending champions also passed up goal chances; Paul Geaney in the first half, Joe O’Connor who was put off balance at the start of the second and swiped at thin air, Dylan Geaney just failed to reach an overcooked Seán O’Shea handpass, and Diarmuid O’Connor.
The final one was a hard pill for Tyrone to swallow as O’Connor’s effort went straight out, only for the umpire at the Canal End to signal a ‘45’, that Paudie Clifford converted on 65 minutes when the pressure was building.
And it wasn’t as if Tyrone were without their sight of goals also as Ronan Cassidy had a shot saved and Eoin McElholm’s shot whistled as it deflected over the crossbar.
Tyrone were handed an opportunity with the last two frees from McCurry. In another world they might have worked either chance out for a two-pointer. But that is harsh in the extreme.
After putting the tightest margin in it, Kerry goalkeeper Shane Murphy had to blast his last kickout long with all the short options blocked.
The ball broke to David Clifford. He laid off to Armin Heinrich. Another phase or two and Clifford slid in a pass to Heinrich, now in front of the Tyrone goals. He finished for the major.
Goodnight Tyrone. A cruel end for them. But Kerry deal in cruelty.
Scorers for Kerry: David Clifford 1-8 (1x 2pt free, 1f), Dylan Geaney 0-8, (2x 2pt play), Paudie Clifford 0-5 (1x 2pt play, 1x ‘45’), Paul Geaney 0-3 (2f), Armin Heinrich 1-0, Diarmuid O’Connor 0-1.
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Kerry survive Tyrone onslaught to squeeze through after tough examination
Kerry 2-25
Tyrone 0-27
KERRY MADE IT through to their sixth consecutive All-Ireland semi-final, but they had to work for it until the very last second as Tyrone clawed with their fingernails through this extreme test.
When Darren McCurry clipped over his tenth point, there was only one in it. Tyrone had hunted down the Kingdom all evening but when you have David Clifford on your team, anything is possible.
He was involved in the final play twice. His second involvement was to slip off a pass from an acute angle to substitute Armin Heinrich who found the bottom corner of the Tyrone net, with no time left to respond.
McCurry was introduced on 44 minutes. Against Mayo, he was brought on and scored six points a fortnight ago. Here, he inhabited another world altogether as he scored 10 points in all; two of them from two-point frees.
Despite his immense contribution, Kerry had an attack that was on fire. When David Clifford helped himself to 1-4 in the first half, Dylan Geaney was outstanding in the second with 0-6, including two two-pointers from play.
For Tyrone to keep this game live, they needed to go for two-pointers. Ciaran Daly had the first attempt in the first few attacks, and it flew wide. On six minutes, Conn Kilpatrick landed one from distance.
Others were to follow from Ethan Jordan and Kieran McGeary. McGeary’s was particularly impressive as a minute before he had made a superb covering tackle after a Niall Morgan short kickout landed in the grateful arms of Paul Geaney who was stripped immediately.
But they knew that they had a job of work containing David Clifford. Who doesn’t?
For this assignment, Red Hands manager Malachy O’Rourke opted for Cormac Quinn.
The go-to marker for Errigal Ciaran had a difficult first 20 minutes. Clifford was off the mark on eight minutes when he let a pass roll through his legs before spinning round to chip the ball up and loft his first score over.
Two more points would follow and on 20 minutes a loose ball from Gavin White was looking like it would be cut out by Quinn. Clifford stretched to deny him the steal and after a bounce, finished cooly to the top corner beyond Niall Morgan.
At that point, they changed tack and sent Niall Devlin in on the Fossa man.
Further points from Seanie O’Donnell, Ronan Cassidy, a Mattie Donnelly special kept them in touch. This was going to be a rigorous assessment of Kerry and no mistake as they headed into the break Kerry ahead 1-11 to 0-12.
With ‘In The Name Of Love’ blasting out, Jack O’Connor held his Kerry players back for the start of the second half.
The half was slow to get going but when Malachy O’Rourke turned to Darren McCurry to come on, the energy shifted.
McCurry opened with a two-point free, one from play and another two-pointer from a free when he moved the ball out beyond the two-point arc.
From then on, he couldn’t be stopped. Always a confidence player, he hit 0-10 all in, over the course of half an hour and Kerry were forced to send in Evan Looney to replace Paul Murphy in an attempt to staunch the flow.
Two of Kerry’s first three scores in the second half were two pointers; Dylan Geaney from play and David Clifford from a free when the ball was moved up from a midfield mark.
Apart from a period when the game was yet to get up and running, Tyrone hadn’t had the lead. Clifford’s score here had them five points up.
They were to narrow that lead to a single point on no fewer than five occasions throughout the second half but the fact they couldn’t, says it all about Kerry’s ability to answer any momentum pushing them back.
The defending champions also passed up goal chances; Paul Geaney in the first half, Joe O’Connor who was put off balance at the start of the second and swiped at thin air, Dylan Geaney just failed to reach an overcooked Seán O’Shea handpass, and Diarmuid O’Connor.
The final one was a hard pill for Tyrone to swallow as O’Connor’s effort went straight out, only for the umpire at the Canal End to signal a ‘45’, that Paudie Clifford converted on 65 minutes when the pressure was building.
And it wasn’t as if Tyrone were without their sight of goals also as Ronan Cassidy had a shot saved and Eoin McElholm’s shot whistled as it deflected over the crossbar.
Tyrone were handed an opportunity with the last two frees from McCurry. In another world they might have worked either chance out for a two-pointer. But that is harsh in the extreme.
After putting the tightest margin in it, Kerry goalkeeper Shane Murphy had to blast his last kickout long with all the short options blocked.
The ball broke to David Clifford. He laid off to Armin Heinrich. Another phase or two and Clifford slid in a pass to Heinrich, now in front of the Tyrone goals. He finished for the major.
Goodnight Tyrone. A cruel end for them. But Kerry deal in cruelty.
Scorers for Kerry: David Clifford 1-8 (1x 2pt free, 1f), Dylan Geaney 0-8, (2x 2pt play), Paudie Clifford 0-5 (1x 2pt play, 1x ‘45’), Paul Geaney 0-3 (2f), Armin Heinrich 1-0, Diarmuid O’Connor 0-1.
Scorers for Tyrone: Darren McCurry 0-10 (2 x2pt free, 2f), Ethan Jordan 0-4 (1x 2pt play, 1f), Mattie Donnelly 0-3, Eoin McElholm 0-3, Kieran McGeary 0-2 (1x 2pt play), Conn Kilpatrick 0-2 (1x 2pt play), Michael McKernan, Seanie O’Donnell, Ronan Cassidy 0-1 each.
Kerry
1. Shane Murphy (Dr Crokes)
2. Paul Murphy (Rathmore) 3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue) 4. Dylan Casey (Austin Stacks)
22. Gavin White (Dr Crokes) 6. Mike Breen (Beaufort) 7. Graham O‘Sullivan (Dromid)
8. Mark O’Shea (Dr Crokes) 9. Sean O’Brien (Beaufort)
10. Joe O’Connor (Austin Stacks) 11. Paudie Clifford (Fossa) 12. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil)
13. David Clifford (Fossa) 14. Paul Geaney (Dingle) 15. Dylan Geaney (Dingle)
Subs:
25. Seán O’Shea (Kenmare) for Paul Geaney (47m)
19. Keith Evans (Keel) for O’Brien (56m)
17. Evan Looney (Dr Crokes) for Murphy (57m)
21. Armin Heinrich (Austin Stacks) for O’Sullivan (60m)
23. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe) for Breen (67m)
24. Killian Spillane (Templenoe) for Dylan Geaney (68m)
Tyrone
1. Niall Morgan (Edendork)
2. Cormac Quinn (Errigal Ciaran) 3. Peter Teague (Dromore) 4. Joey Clarke (Donaghmore)
5. Michael McKernan (Coalisland) 6. Niall Devlin (Coalisland) 7. Kieran McGeary (Pomeroy)
8. Brian Kennedy (Derrylaughan) 9. Conn Kilpatrick (Edendork)
10. Sean O’Donnell (Trillick) 11. Ronan Cassidy (Donaghmore) 12. Ciaran Daly (Trillick)
13. Eoin McElholm (Loughmacrory) 14. Mattie Donnelly (Trillick) 15. Ethan Jordan (Eglish)
Subs:
17. Michael Rafferty (Killyclogher) for Clarke (Blood sub 24-33m)
26. Darren McCurry (Edendork) for Daly (44m)
24. Ciaran Bogue (Clogher) for Jordan (56m)
19. Frank Burns (Pomeroy) for McGeary (59m)
17. Michael Rafferty for Quinn (60m)
23. Conor O’Neill (Donaghmore) for Cassidy (66m)
Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon)
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All-Ireland Championship GAA Gaelic Football Kerry Kingdom came Red Hands Tyrone