Holders Defeat Tyrone

Monday 29.07.2019

 

Tyrone 0-9 Kerry 1-12

Holders Kerry stretched their unbeaten minor championship record to 34 games when they turned on the style in the second half at Bord Na Mona O’Connor Park to comfortably see off the challenge of Tyrone.

 

Tyrone led by double scores at the break, 0-6 to 0-3, and they were full value for that advantage with their defence particularly impressive. It was Luke Donnelly who opened the scoring for the Red Hands in the 3^rd minute following a sharp turn before Kerry levelled matters from a Jack O’Connor “45”.

 

Kerry were having the better of possession but a combination of poor shooting and superb Tyrone defending meant that they struggled to make an impact on the scoreboard. Donnelly nudged Tyrone back in front at the end of the opening quarter from a free following a foul on Mark Devlin before the latter made it 0-3 to 0-1 moments later with a quality score from play.

 

With Shea Daly, Sean O’Donnell and Donnelly getting through lots of hard work Tyrone went further ahead with a third score of the half from Donnelly. Another O’Connor “45” reduced the deficit before Kerry keeper Devon Burns made a great save to deny Conor Cuddy at the expense of a “45” which Devlin knocked over. Daniel Fullerton then took a neat score after a pass from O’Donnell before Kerry had the final say of the half in injury time from Dylan Geaney, their first from play.

 

A free from O’Connor opened the second half scoring before Devlin responded in the 3^rd minute with a superb effort from play. Tyrone though were to go eighteen minutes without troubling the umpires while Kerry hit 1-4 without reply to turn the game on its head. O’Connor and Emmet O’Shea had points before wing half back Eoghan O’Sullivan sent over the equaliser in the 46^th minute.

 

Sixty seconds later Joseph Lineham and Gearoid Hassett combined for O’Shea to fire to the net and there was no way back for Tyrone. Moments later things got worse for Tyrone when full back Micheal McCann was straight red carded and midfielder Michael McGleenan was black carded. O’Connor, O’Shea and Geaney tagged on points before Devlin ended Tyrone’s barren spell from a “45”. Substitute Shea Browne then got his name on the scoresheet for Tyrone but it was Kerry who closed the game out with points from Geaney and Ryan O’Grady.

 

Tyrone: Stephen McMenamin, Conor Cuddy, Micheal McCann, Seamus Sweeney, Sean O’Donnell, Niall Devlin, James Donaghy, Steven Donaghy, Michael McGleenan, Shea Daly, Mark Devlin (0-4, 2 “45s”), Ruairi Campbell, Aaron McGrath, Daniel Fullerton (0-1), Luke Donnelly (0-3, 1F). Subs: Brian Conway for Cuddy, Shea Browne (0-1) for Donnelly, Rory Burns for O’Donnell, Ciaran Daly for McGleenan (black card), Eoin Montgomery for Steven Donaghy

 

Kerry: Devon Burns, Luke Chester, Alan Dineen, Kieran O’Sullivan, Eoghan O’Sullivan (0-1), Adam Curran, Sean O’Brien, Darragh Lynch, Ronan Collins, Colin Crowley, Jack O’Connor (0-5, 2 “45s” 1F), Gearoid Hassett, Dylan Geaney (0-3), Cathal O’Beaglaoich, Emmett O’Shea (1-2). Subs: Joseph Lineham for O’Beaglaoich, Tomas O’ Hainifen for Lynch, Kevin Goulding for O’Shea, Jason Kerins for Hassett, Ryan O’Grady (0-1) for O’Connor

 

Referee: Barry Tiernan, Dublin