Kerry 2-18 Tyrone 0-12: Red Hands exit All-Ireland as Kingdom dominate quarter-final at Croke Park
- Published
Highlights: Dominant Kerry claim quarter-final victory over Tyrone
Tyrone's championship campaign ended in hugely disappointing fashion as holders Kerry claimed a thoroughly convincing 2-18 to 0-12 win in the All-Ireland Football quarter-final at Croke Park.
Kerry had seven different scorers in an impressive first-half display to lead 0-9 to 0-6 at the break.
Tyrone needed a strong response in the second half, but instead Kerry stretched their lead to eight before Diarmuid O'Connor and Sean O'Shea goals rubber-stamped a dominant win for the Munster champions.
O'Connor's 52nd-minute major effectively put the game to bed but Kerry rubbed salt in Tyrone's wounds when O'Shea raised a green flag after a piece of David Clifford brilliance created space for Tony Brosnan to attack the Red Hand full-back line.
While Tyrone's hopes of winning a fifth All-Ireland title are put on hold for another year, Kerry can look forward to a semi-final in a fortnight's time as the Kingdom look to win back-to-back Sam Maguire Cups for the first time since 2007.
The solitary blot on Kerry's copybook was Paudie Clifford's injury-time dismissal as he and Tyrone's Conor Meyler were both shown second yellow cards.
However, that will do little to dampen Kerry spirits as they re-affirmed their status as the team to beat in this year's race for Gaelic football's most coveted prize.
It will also come as a deeply satisfying win for Jack O'Connor's side having been stunned by Tyrone in the 2021 semi-final, a game which was delayed by two weeks following a Covid-19 outbreak in the Ulster side's camp.
Some of Tyrone's finest days in Croke Park have come at Kerry's expense, but there was to be no great Red Hand triumph on this occasion as Kerry produced a controlled and ruthless display that will strike fear into the other All-Ireland contenders.
Tyrone's Frank Burns and Michael McKernan were unable to stop Sean O'Shea stretching Kerry's lead with the Kingdom's second goal
While Tyrone came into the game off the back of an impressive preliminary quarter-final victory over Donegal in Ballybofey, it was the holders who settled quickly at Croke Park, with Paul Geaney kicking over a fine opening score after David Clifford had put his first shot of the match wide.
And while corner-back Michael McKernan ventured up the field to great effect to draw Tyrone level, Kerry seized control with scores from Adrian Spillane, Sean O'Shea and Clifford.
When the sides met in the 2021 semi-final, the Kerry full-back line often looked vulnerable when Tyrone forced turnovers and broke into space. However, the Kingdom defence gave little away in the opening exchanges before an unforced error allowed Ruairi Canavan to kick his first of the afternoon.
That was the start of a mini-Canavan show at Croke Park with Ruairi's score quickly followed by a superb effort from his older brother Darragh and a delightful second from Ruairi after a dummy to open up space in the Kerry defence and draw Tyrone level at 0-5 apiece.
And while Darren McCurry responded to a Paudie Clifford score with a free to restore parity, Kerry opened up a three-point cushion before the interval with two David Clifford frees either side of Diarmuid O'Connor's well-worked score after a pinpoint Geaney kickpass.
Sadly for Tyrone, a stirring second-half revival was not forthcoming as Kerry dominated the third quarter, reeling off five successive scores before O'Connor skipped past Peter Harte and rattled Niall Morgan's net in the 52nd minute.
O'Connor's goal - his first in senior championship football - extended Kerry's advantage to 11 and ripped the intensity out of the game with Tyrone's hopes hanging by a thread.
The Red Hands battled on - as they always do - but lost their defensive shape and were made to pay when Clifford's excellent take and pass from tight to the sideline set up Brosnan, who teed up O'Shea for Kerry's second goal.
That put Kerry 2-15 to 0-10 up, and while Morgan produced an excellent save to stop David Clifford adding a third Kerry goal, the Kingdom marched confidently into the last four, leaving Tyrone to reflect on a bitterly disappointing end to their season.
Paudie Clifford's late dismissal may leave a sour taste in O'Connor's mouth, but the Kerry boss will undoubtedly be thrilled by the manner in which his side swatted away one of their fiercest rivals to leave them two wins away from a record-extending 39th All-Ireland crown.
Tyrone were unable to mount a second-half comeback as Kerry showed their class at Croke Park
Teams and scorers
Kerry: Shane Ryan; Graham O'Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O'Sullivan (0-1); Paul Murphy, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White; Diarmuid O'Connor (1-2), Jack Barry; Dara Moynihan, Sean O'Shea (1-5, 1f, 1m), Adrian Spillane (0-2); Paudie Clifford (0-1), David Clifford (0-5, 3f, 1m), Paul Geaney (0-1).
Subs: Stephen O'Brien (0-1) for A Spillane (51), Tony Brosnan for P Geaney (51), Brian O Beaglaoich for G White (58), Micheal Burns for D Moynihan (61), Mike Breen for J Foley (65).
Tyrone: Niall Morgan; Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee, Padraig Hampsey; Cormac Quinn, Michael O'Neill, Peter Harte; Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick; Conor Meyler, Ruairi Canavan (0-2), Kieran McGeary; Darren McCurry (0-4f), Mattie Donnelly (0-2), Darragh Canavan (0-2).
Subs: Frank Burns for C Quinn (34), Cathal McShane (0-2) for R Canavan (45), Joe Oguz for K McGeary (45), Sean O'Donnell for M Donnelly (65), Aidan Clarke for P Hampsey (68).
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)