FL1: classy Kingdom set-up another final date with Dubs

April 02, 2017

Kerry's Barry John Keane under pressure from Peter Harte of Tyrone.
©INPHO/Cathal Noonan.

Kerry 1-21
Tyrone 2-11

Kerry dominated Tyrone this afternoon in Killarney to secure their place in the Allianz Division 1 final against Dublin.

Before 8,125 spectators at Fitzgerald Stadium, the home side put in their best performance of the season to date as Michael Geaney's goal set the tone early on for them and they'd kick on for a nine-point lead at half-time.

The Ulster champions had failed to score from play in the opening 35 minutes and although Peter Harte registered two goals - one a penalty - for them in the second-half they were simply outclassed by Eamonn Fitzmaurice's men.

Paul Geaney and Donnchadh Walsh combined for 0-12 over the 70 minutes, with the latter hitting all his six points from open play, as the Kingdom put enough points on the board to ensure a repeat of last year's top tier league decider against the Dubs.

Kerry enjoyed a dream start with Geaney's goal hitting the Tyrone net inside two minutes and they never really looked back from there.

The superb Walsh and Paul Geaney (free) had the hosts five up with as many minutes on the clock, before Sean Cavanagh's first free flew over and the Red Hands' talisman would register his second on 13 minutes following points from Barry John Keane and Walsh at the other end.

Paul Geaney tacked on two more frees to bump the Kingdom's lead up to six, which Cavanagh's third free reduced, and for the next 15 minutes Kerry really bossed their opponents, rattling off five unanswered points.

Free-taker Geaney had three of them, while Michael Geaney and Stephen O'Brien had the scoreboard reading 1-11 to 0-3 approaching the interval.

Cavanagh and Peter Harte struck sorely needed frees after the latter had a goal chance well saved by Brendan Kealy in the Kerry goal, as Michael Geaney cancelled out Harte (free) in injury-time, leaving it at 1-12 to 0-6 for the break.

Harte eventually goaled for the Ulster champions after nine minutes of the restart but it wouldn't alter the trend of this contest, as Keane, Tadhg Morley, Paul Murphy and Walsh all ushered Kerry's lead up to double figures (1-17 to 1-7) by the 57th minute after another free from Cavanagh.

A Harte free was backed up by substitute David Mulgrew clipping one over off the post to take some tarnish off the score-line and a penalty for the Red Hands with five minutes to go would do likewise.

Harte dispatched the spot kick brilliantly past Kealy but it was a case of too little, too late for the northerners, as Bryan Sheehan and Walsh raised the winners' tally up to an impressive 1-20 before the latter erased Mulgrew's second point in injury-time.

Kerry - B Kealy; F Fitzgerald, M Griffin, R Shanahan; P Crowley, T Morley (0-1), P Murphy (0-1); D Moran, A Maher; M Geaney (1-2), K McCarthy, D Walsh (0-6); B J Keane (0-2), P Geaney (0-6f), S O'Brien (0-3, 2f). Subs: B Sheehan for K McCarthy, J Lyne for P Crowley, D O'Sullivan for B J Keane, J Barry for A Maher, G Crowley for F Fitzgerald, D Daly for S O'Brien.

Tyrone - M O'Neill; A McCrory, P Hampsey, C McCarron; T McCann, R McNabb, P Harte (2-4, 1-0pen, 0-4f); C Cavanagh, P McNulty; C McCann, N Sludden, K McGeary; M Bradley, S Cavanagh (0-5f), D McCurry. Subs: C Meyler for C McCann, J Monroe for D McCurry, F Burns for K McGeary (BC), D Mulgrew (0-2) for M Bradley, C McShane for N Sludden (BC), R Brennan for R McNabb.

Referee - M Duffy.


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