@jorgenpascalfrancesco: Kerry power into final as Tyrone challenge fizzles out FT Tyrone 0-17 Kerry 1-20 Kerry powered their way into an All-Ireland SFC decider thanks to a dominant second-half display, Tyrone's challenge fizzling out badly after a bright opening. David Clifford racked up 1-09 but the game's most influential figure was undoubtedly Joe O'Connor, who delivered an extraordinary, all-action display both defensively and in attack. Only leading by three at half-time having played with the wind, Jack O'Connor's side kicked for home in a dominant second half display, racking up 0-09 without reply to kill the game and book their place in a third All-Ireland final in four years. The build-up was dominated by the aftermath of Kerry's demolition of Armagh in the quarter-final, which had seen morph from a team in supposed crisis to All-Ireland favourites in the course of an afternoon. Tyrone, the consensus went, had made it this far without pulling up any trees. Aside from inflicting a rare defeat on Donegal in Ballybofey, their performances hadn't suggested a marked improvement in previous campaigns. The seven-point win over Dublin in the quarter-final owed more to their opponents' unnatural profligacy in front of goal and even then the margin flattered them. However, it was a fixture which sparked trepidation among Kerry supporters and Tyrone have long had a penchant for delivering Croke Park ambushes. It all started so brightly for Tyrone. Playing into the wind in the first half, they led 0-05 to 0-02 after 14 minutes, putting immense pressure on Kerry's kickout and hoovering up the breaks. Ciaran Daly swung over two of those early scores, with centre-back Kieran McGeary clipping over another after working a one-two. Under-20 star pupil Eoin McElholm, a late addition to the starting line-up in place of Peter Harte, slotted Tyrone's fifth of the day. They had an early sniff of a goal chance, Darren McCurry aiming an overly ambitious side-footed shot towards the top corner which was comfortably parried by Shane Ryan. Shane Ryan saves from Darren McCurry Kerry were snatching at what chances they did get, David Clifford and Seanie O'Shea dropping efforts into Niall Morgan's hands. It took 13 minutes for their first score from play, Dylan Geaney drilling a long pass into David Clifford's clutches and racing forward to collect the return pass before slotting the point. Clifford was into the swing of things soon and he levelled the game with a point and two-pointer in quick succession, the first after speeding past Pádraig Hampsey on the outside. The subsequent two-pointer saw him dive to gather a bouncing ball, spring to his feet despite close marking and then make the space to curl over a glorious score. Clifford edged Kerry in front for the first time in 20 minutes after McGeary bundled over O'Connor as the midfielder fired a shot goalwards. Tyrone were still in a strong position, however, working a couple of points for Mattie Donnelly and Darragh Canavan - the former a goal chances which was blasted too high. Kerry had been burying goals at an enormous rate in 2025, David Clifford hitting a hat-trick in the league game between the sides in Pomeroy. Armagh were uber-conscious of this threat in the quarter-final and wound up allowing Sean O'Shea to make hay with two-point shots. Tyrone took a different tack and Kerry were snuffed out on the arc but the Munster champions proceeded to work an incredible volume of goal chances across the 70 minutes, all bar one of which were squandered. That one arrived just before the half-hour mark. It started with Gavin White winning a loose ball from Mattie Donnelly's deflected shot in front of Hill 16. Mike Breen strolled up the left, fed a looping pass for David Clifford. Clifford won it between two Tyrone defenders, sent Morgan to the floor with a dummy bounce and coolly slipped a low shot inside the right post. In a sign of what was to come in the second half, they almost had another a minute later.

Jorgen Hartogs

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Sunday 13 July 2025 08:55:29 GMT