All-Ireland Football semi-final: Covid-hit Tyrone stun Kerry by earning 3-14 to 0-22 extra-time triumph

Tyrone set up an All-Ireland Football Final meeting with Mayo on 11 September by shocking Kerry 3-14 to 0-22 after extra-time at Croke Park.

The Covid-hit Red Hands were given little chance of upsetting Kerry but produced a display of immense courage.

Conor McKenna's goal helped the Red Hands lead 1-7 to 0-9 at half-time.

Kerry moved two up late in normal time before sub Cathal McShane netted and while the Kingdom forced extra-time, McKenna's second goal proved decisive.

• As it happened: Red Hands shock Kingdom

• Dooher hails Tyrone players after dramatic win

The victory must go down as one of Tyrone football's greatest triumphs after they had gone into the game as huge underdogs following their recent Covid crisis when close to 20 members of the squad tested positive for the virus.

However, instead it was Kerry who laboured as the match wore on - apart from their late rally in extra-time which saw them closing the gap to the minimum after McKenna's second goal had put five points between the teams.

David Clifford was unable to play any part in extra-time apparently because of cramp

Kerry's fitness ultimately fails them

Kerry's fitness ultimately failed them as key player David Clifford - after scoring eight points - was among several players who fell victim to cramp with him unable to play any part in extra-time.

Influential midfielder David Moran being forced off late in normal time was also a blow for Kerry whose bench did not have the strength of Tyrone's as McShane and Darragh Canavan made particular impacts following their second-half introductions.

Sean O'Shea notched seven points for Kerry but their reliance on the free-taker and Clifford for scores prior to extra-time was pronounced as they kicked 15 of the Kingdom's 17 scores.

In contrast, Tyrone were able to fashion scores from all sectors of the field - best exemplified by full-backs Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee and skipper Padraig Hampsey all striding forward to register first-half points.

The Red Hands had Kerry out on the feet at full-time in normal time despite having played with 14 men for 20 minutes of the second half following the sin-binning of forwards Niall Sludden and Darren McCurry.

Man of the match Kieran McGeary's all-action display epitomised the Tyrone effort as he popped up all over the pitch throughout the contest.

Early on, the match appeared to be going to the script as Clifford's opening score after only 22 seconds was soon followed by his second point.

However, Kerry soon learned they were facing a very different animal in Tyrone to the sides that had hammered in the Munster Championship - including Cork in the final five weeks ago.

Shades of Tyrone's famous 2003 swarms

Tyrone's tenacious tackling reminded one of the famous swarm defence approach employed by Mickey Harte's Red Hands in the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final which so unhinged Paidi O Se's Kingdom side.

Kerry voices had spoken of expecting exactly that again in the build-up to Saturday's game yet the Kingdom players struggled to deal with it as they frequently ran into traffic and were turned over.

After Kerry's bright start as they ran at Tyrone early on, the Red Hands responded to lead by the 10th minute as keeper Niall Morgan's opening 45 was followed by scores from the energetic Mattie Donnelly and Peter Harte.

Those early scores gave Tyrone a foothold in the contest they never relinquished even though Kerry did go on to have the better of the third quarter.

A big moment in the contest came in a 60-second period 12 minutes before the break as Kerry butchered a goal opportunity - as Paul Geaney over-played the ball to Stephen O'Brien who was in the small square as he diverted to the net - only to see McKenna to calmly stroke the ball under Shane Ryan at the other end after Harte's run was followed by a perfect Sludden pass.

That failure to take a glorious goal-scoring chance summed up Kerry's lack of composure. Dublin would not have squandered such an opportunity.

Frank Burns (bottom left) was a late inclusion in the Tyrone starting line-up

From three down, Kerry did fight back to level only for Morgan to restore Tyrone's lead in first-half injury-time as he thumped over an astonishing free from 68 metres - possibly the longest ever successful football placed ball at the venue.

After Kerry levelled following the resumption, Tyrone lost Sludden for 10 minutes but while Kerry used the extra man to move into a two-point advantage by the 46th minute, the Red Hands remained in the game - in part to a brave block by Harte to deny Killian Spillane as the Kerry substitute bore down on goal.

Three minutes after Sludden's return, Tyrone lost McCurry to a black card for an off-the-ball body check but the Red Hands refused to bow to the seemingly inevitable numbers game as they regained a one-point lead in the final minute of normal time as McShane palmed to the net after Mattie Donnelly had played in Canavan, whose pointblank shot could only be blocked by Kerry keeper Ryan.

Nine minutes of injury-time saw the Clifford brothers David and Paudie point either side of a McCurry score as the scoreline was 0-17 to 2-11 when referee David Coldrick's whistle signalled extra-time.

But Kerry were looking absolutely exhausted late in normal time and Tyrone continued to have all the energy in the early stages of extra-time as McShane's two points were followed by McKenna's low shot to the net after an exhausted Jack Barry had failed to clear a mishit high ball from McGeary, with the Kingdom man's outstretched leg instead gifting possession to the former AFL player.

To their credit, Kerry regrouped to leave only a kick of the ball in it by the end of first period of extra-time but while Tyrone were unable to add to their 3-14 tally in the closing 10 minutes, the Kingdom could only manage further points from Paudie Clifford and Geaney as the Ulster champions deservedly held on.

Kerry: S Ryan; B Ó Beaglaoich, J Foley, T O'Sullivan (0-1); M Breen, P Murphy (0-1), G White; D Moran, J Barry; D Moynihan, S O'Shea (0-8), S O'Brien; D Clifford (0-8) , P Geaney (0-1), P Clifford (0-2).

Subs: K Spillane for Moynihan 35 mins, G Crowley for Breen 49, T Walsh for Moran 59, A Spillane for Geaney 58, D O'Connor (0-1) for O'Brien 58, T Morley for D Clifford 70, J Sherwood for Barry 77, M Burns for O'Sullivan 86

Tyrone: N Morgan (0-2); M McKernan (0-1), R McNamee (0-1), P Hampsey (0-1); F Burns, K McGeary, P Harte (0-01); B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; C Meyler, M O'Neill, N Sludden; D McCurry (0-4), M Donnelly (0-01), C McKenna (2-0)

Subs: C McShane (1-3) for Kennedy 43, T McCann for O'Neill 56, D Canavan for Sludden 64, B McDonnell for Kilpatrick 73, L Rafferty for Harte 76 mins, M Bradley for Sludden 76