Afternoon all and welcome along to Croke Park. The countdown is on to 3.45pm when a blockbuster All-Ireland quarter-final weekend begins.
It’s the last two winners of the Sam Maguire in opposition first, 2022 champions Kerry meeting 2021 victors Tyrone.
A marquee pairing to commence a huge two days of football action.
Here’s the teams named to start, we’ll keep you posted if there’s any changes.
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Kerry
1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)
2. Graham O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), 3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue), 4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)
5. Paul Murphy (Dingle), 6. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe), 7. Gavin White (Dr Crokes)
8. Diarmuid O’Connor (Na Gaeil), 9. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil)
10. Dara Moynihan (Spa), 11. Sean O’Shea (Kenmare Shamrocks), 12. Adrian Spillane (Templenoe)
13. Paudie Clifford (Fossa), 14. David Clifford (Fossa), Paul Geaney (Dingle)
Tyrone
1. Niall Morgan (Edendork)
2. Michael McKernan (Coalisland), 3. Ronan McNamee (Aghyaran), 4. Padraig Hampsey (Coalisland)
5. Cormac Quinn (Errigal Ciaran), 6. Michael O’Neill (Ardbe), 7. Peter Harte (Errigal Ciaran)
8. Brian Kennedy (Derrylaughan), 9. Conn Kilpatrick (Edendork)
10. Conor Meyler (Omagh), 11. Ruairí Canavan (Errigal Ciaran), 12. Kieran McGeary (Pomeroy)
13. Darren McCurry (Edendork), 14. Matthew Donnelly (Trillick), 15. Darragh Canavan (Errigal Ciaran)
Kildare’s Brendan Cawley is the referee for this one.
Both teams start as selected.
After a moment to remember the late Danny Cahill, we’re almost ready to go in HQ.
Throw in: Kerry start on the front foot, but Tyrone goalkeeper Niall Morgan rises highest to claim a long ball in.
Kerry 0-0 Tyrone 0-0
2 mins - David Clifford takes the first shot of the day after a big turnover in the Kerry defence, but it sails wide. Tyrone with a patient build-up now.
Kerry 0-1 Tyrone 0-0
5 mins - Paul Geaney raises the game’s first white flag after a long, patient build-up from Kerry. Came after another turnover in their defence, Tadhg Morley at the heart of it. There was a ropey pass from Paul Murphy to Shane Ryan in there, but they were let off.
Kerry 0-1 Tyrone 0-1
6 mins - Michael McKernan hits back to a loud Tyrone cheer. Red Hand fans outnumbering Kerry’s. Possession is pivotal.
Kerry 0-2 Tyrone 0-1
8 mins - Adrian Spillane takes his score well and Kerry retain the lead.
Kerry 0-2 Tyrone 0-1
10 mins – Niall Morgan sends a free from the ’45 wide. Big turnovers across the park, this game is heating up nicely.
Kerry 0-3 Tyrone 0-1
12 mins - Sean O’Shea clips a trademark point after a driving run.
Kerry 0-4 Tyrone 0-1
13 mins - David Clifford makes no mistake with a well-won mark. Some breathing space for the Kingdom early on.
Kerry 0-4 Tyrone 0-2
15 mins - Darren McCurry opens his account with a free.
Kerry 0-5 Tyrone 0-2
16 mins - Tom O’Sullivan sails a beauty over.
Kerry 0-5 Tyrone 0-3
17 mins – Tyrone respond immediately through Ruairi Canavan. His first real sight of the posts.
Kerry 0-5 Tyrone 0-4
18 mins - Wides at either end, from Tom O’Sullivan and Kieran McGeary respectively.
Kerry 0-5 Tyrone 0-4
20 mins - Darragh Canavan sends over a stunning effort from way out under the Cusack Stand. David Clifford tries the same at the other end, but to no avail.
Kerry 0-5 Tyrone 0-5
21 mins - And we’re level! Sweet strike from Ruairi Canavan. The Hill love that one – Tyrone fans singing the Canavan brothers’ names to the song of Yaya, Kolo Toure etc.
Kerry 0-6 Tyrone 0-5
23 mins - Geaney restores Kerry’s lead. Both sides looking really lively, their attacks firing.
Kerry 0-6 Tyrone 0-5
26 mins - Tyrone hit the post with a pointed effort, and Jack Barry is there to clear the lines. That comes between Kerry registering a wide and dropping another short.
Kerry 0-6 Tyrone 0-6
28 mins - McCurry splits the posts with a free won by Ruairi Canavan. Soft enough, Kerry fans might argue. All square once again.
Kerry 0-7 Tyrone 0-6
29 mins - David Clifford curls one over at the other end after similar grievances from the Tyrone contingent. McCurry drops another placed ball into the Hill short.
Kerry 0-8 Tyrone 0-6
31 mins - Jack Barry gets his name on the scoresheet. Both teams are going with a slow build-up and a swift transition into attack, Kerry finding the most joy from that in recent minutes.
Kerry 0-9 Tyrone 0-6
32 mins - David Clifford clips another free from the ’21 over the bar. It was won by his brother Paudie – he claimed the ball around the same area and probably could have called for the mark but showed his intent by trying to burn the Tyrone defence. The referee called it back for a free.
Looks like Tyrone are set to make a change: Frank Burns is getting ready to come in.
Kerry 0-9 Tyrone 0-6
35 mins – Clifford has a go from distance but the ball drops well short – Morgan claims. Burns has replaced Cormac Quinn. Two minutes added on.
Half time: Kerry 0-9 Tyrone 0-6
Bit of messing as the teams go down the tunnel, but that’s it for the first half here at HQ.
Kerry have been that bit better, and you get the feeling Tyrone will need a goal to have a big say here. Here’s a reminder of the first-half scoring:
Kerry: David Clifford 0-3 (1m, 2f), Paul Geaney 0-2, Adrian Spillane, Sean O’Shea, Tom O’Sullivan, Jack Barry 0-1 each.
Tyrone: Darren McCurry 0-2 (2f) and Ruairi Canavan 0-2 each, Darragh Canavan and Michael McKernan 0-1 each.
Both teams are back out on the pitch and we’re ready for a big second half here at Croke Park.
Second half: Kerry win the throw in — and out of nowhere, David Clifford has the ball in the back of the net, but it’s called back for a clear foul on Sean O’Shea in the build-up.
Kerry 0-10 Tyrone 0-6
36 mins - Clifford taps the free over.
Kerry 0-11 Tyrone 0-6
37 mins – Sean O’Shea adds another. Not exactly sure what that one was for – looked like Hampsey got a clean block on Clifford as it was awarded. McCurry dropped a free short at the other end just before, Ryan reacting well to clear the danger.
Kerry 0-12 Tyrone 0-6
42 mins – Kerry pulling away here, Adrian Spillane with their latest score.
Few stoppages, the latest of those saw Jason Foley down getting some treatment. He’s all good. Diarmuid O’Connor did well in the midst of it all, Kerry winning a big turnover. They break at pace and Spillane boots over.
Kerry 0-13 Tyrone 0-6
45 mins – The goalkeepers have been busy at either end. Tyrone go quick from a free but Shane Ryan cuts out any chance. Clifford hits the post at the other end and Morgan races off his line to claim and eventually clear.
Kerry win it back though, and Sean O’Shea angles a lovely point into the Hill.
Kerry 0-13 Tyrone 0-6
46 mins - Double substitution for Tyrone: Cathal McShane comes in for Ruairi Canavan, Joe Oguz replaces Kieran McGeary.
Kerry 0-14 Tyrone 0-6
47 mins - Big save from Niall Morgan. Sean O’Shea fires over the resultant ’45. Tyrone really need a score here.
Kerry 0-14 Tyrone 0-6
52 mins – Two Kerry changes: Stephen O’Brien in for Spillane and Tony Brosnan replaces Geaney.
They’ve just had two uncharacteristic wides as they look to keep their foot on Tyrone’s throat – Clifford with the second, HawkEye chalking it off.
Kerry 1-14 Tyrone 0-6
GOAL! Diarmuid O’Connor powers Kerry into an 11-point lead.
Kerry 1-14 Tyrone 0-7
54 mins - Darren McCurry grabs Tyrone’s first score of the second half from a free.
Kerry 1-15 Tyrone 0-8
57 mins – Cathal McShane sends one over for Tyrone.
O’Connor has been excellent for Kerry, at the heart of another big turnover. Clifford’s rare off-day before the posts continues as he makes poor work with a free.
Just as I type, he fires over from play.
Brian Ó Beaglaoich replaces Gavin White.
Kerry 1-15 Tyrone 0-9
59 mins - Mattie Donnelly lets fly.
Michéal Burns comes in for Dara Moynihan as Jack O’Connor runs the bench.
Kerry 2-15 Tyrone 0-9
GOAL! Sean O’Shea. What a goal – all came after Clifford’s magic to keep the ball in play at the sideline under the Hogan Stand. A sight to behold!
Kerry 2-16 Tyrone 0-10
64 mins - Stephen O’Brien adds another point for Kerry.
Sean O’Donnell replaces Mattie Donnelly. Mike Breen in for Jason Foley.
Here’s that piece of Clifford genius in the build-up to the goal:
David Clifford is more than just a prolific scorer, just incase you didn’t know!! Genius👌 pic.twitter.com/YLBsrKR3WM
— Michael Verney (@mlverney) July 1, 2023
Kerry 2-16 Tyrone 0-11
68 mins - Darren McCurry free.
Aidan Clarke replaces Paudie Hampsey.
Kerry 2-16 Tyrone 0-12
69 mins - Darragh Canavan adds another as Tyrone go for damage limitation.
Boos around the ground as there’s an off the ball incident under the Cusack Stand, but nothing comes off it in the end.
Kerry 2-17 Tyrone 0-12
71 mins - Sean O’Shea slams over, could have been another goal for Kerry.
Five mins added on here.
Kerry 2-18 Tyrone 0-12
73 mins - Shooting practice continues for Kerry, another superb Sean O’Shea ’45 and his fist pump says it all.
Kerry 2-18 Tyrone 0-12
74 mins – Lots happening down the home straight, Tyrone go short from a free to try and take the bad look off the scoreline but a shot on goal goes abegging. O’Sullivan and Canavan both see yellow for off the ball antics.
Red cards late on! Conor Meyler and Paudie Clifford, it seems. Not entirely sure what happened there but no replays in Croke Park.
Kerry 2-18 Tyrone 0-12
76 mins - Superb save from Niall Morgan to stop a David Clifford effort on goal. We go to a ’45 – can Sean O’Shea cap a huge performance with another?
Full time: Kerry 2-18 Tyrone 0-10
O’Shea’s late ’45 tails wide, but that won’t matter. What a performance from Kerry as they book their All-Ireland semi-final spot and their Sam Maguire title defence continues with a statement performance. But what about Tyrone? They looked pretty lost, and that second half is one they’ll want to forget.
That’s all from our liveblog.
Fintan O’Toole is also in the press box in Croke Park and his report will be posted shortly. And as always, we’ll have plenty of analysis and reaction on The 42.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy your evening!
