Tyrone hold firm as Kerry rally late

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE/Division 1 A - Tyrone ... 1-13 Kerry ... 0-14: Understrength and overwhelmed in the first half, Kerry rallied to make an absorbing tussle of this NFL Division One A match in Killarney yesterday. But even an almost constant supply of ball from Darragh Ó Sé couldn't quite close the six-point deficit, which Tyrone nurtured with strategically taken scores to take two valuable points.

Both managers were happy enough in the aftermath.

Mickey Harte had endured an anxious second half but said that he was content to have held out in the end despite the one-way traffic at centrefield.

Kerry's Páidí Ó Sé felt that the second-half display had been very encouraging and that his team had performed creditably given the litany of absentees in defence.

Fitzgerald Stadium was looking well in the spring sunshine and the crowd of about 7,000 got a gripping match for its entertainment. Overlooking the ground is St Finnan's Hospital, where Dr Eamonn O'Sullivan was the chief medical officer for many years, during which time he was the innovating force behind eight of Kerry's All-Ireland titles.

The essence of yesterday's conflict would have been familiar. O'Sullivan would have approved of Kerry's preference for a traditional, centrefield platform, just as he would have frowned at Tyrone's modern predilections. A sharp and mobile defence worked the ball out in short relays while the full-forward line rotated 90 degrees to a single-file formation while the rest of the forwards removed themselves to the jungle around the middle.

Short two of the team's best defenders, Kerry struggled to cope with their free-ranging opponents.

Owen Mulligan won a lot of ball and presented a visible target as his bleached head bobbed around the attack. Tom O'Sullivan, Kerry's fourth-choice full back, was switched from the wing to deal with Peter Canavan and did reasonably well. Even in the 28th minute when the vital goal was scored, O'Sullivan was unlucky - his block on Canavan deflecting the ball over Declan O'Keeffe into the net.

That was no more than the visitors deserved. Their fluid movement created havoc in Kerry's defence and deprived of the mobility and command of Seamus Moynihan they struggled to contain the precise opposition attacks.

When the chances arose Tyrone were far more adept at taking them with Canavan unusually the chief wides culprit with three out of five.

Kerry's finishing was wilder and they doubled their opponents' three wides for the first half.

Despite facing the wind Tyrone coped well in the opening period. As Harte said afterwards, it wasn't that they were winning centrefield by catching ball but their overall power-play disrupted Darragh Ó Sé and Donal Daly and devoured the loose ball.

Brian Dooher was particularly in evidence, roaming all over the field helping to sweep up in defence, making himself available as a runner around the middle and popping up in attack. In the space of a few minutes, he kicked a good point and at the other end of the field blocked Colm Cooper in the right-corner back position.

Kerry were forced into a couple of changes before half-time. Seamus Scanlon replaced Roibeard MacGearailt - a late selection at centre back - with Paul Galvin coming back to defence and going on to make a good job of clamping Dooher in the second half. And Dara Ó Cinneide replaced Liam Hassett to develop the scoring options and ended the day with three points.

At the break Tyrone led 1-7 to 0-4 with the wind advantage to come. In a way the home side were fortunate as O'Keeffe made two excellent saves from Brian McGuigan and Mulligan in the 12th and 15th minute.

With a rejigged attack Kerry began to make inroads into the deficit. Darragh Ó Sé started to catch a succession of high ball and quickly the mobility of Cormac McAnallen and Seán Cavanagh was no longer as influential at centrefield. It took a while for Kerry to establish an attacking rhythm and too often moves foundered on poor distribution.

But as the scores started to come for Kerry, Tyrone did enough to keep them at arm's length through Stephen O'Neill's reliable free-taking and a typical lung-bursting solo from Cavanagh, finished with a fisted point.

As a result Kerry couldn't cut the margin to less than three points until injury-time and even then the lack of goal-scoring threat undermined a determined, late onslaught.

TYRONE: P McConnell; R McMenamin, C Holmes, M McGee; C McAnallen (0-1), S Cavanagh (0-2); S Mulgrew, B McGuigan, S O'Neill (0-6, four frees); B Dooher (0-1), P Canavan (1-2, one point a free), O Mulligan (0-1). Subs: C Gourley for McGee (53 mins), E McGinley for Mulgrew (65 mins), K Hughes for McGuigan (71 mins).

KERRY: D O'Keeffe; M Ó Sé (0-1), T O'Sullivan, M Lyons (0-1); T Ó Sé, R MacGearailt, J Sheehan; D Ó Sé, D Daly; L Hassett, E Brosnan (0-2), P Galvin; D Quill (0-3, two frees), D O'Sullivan (0-1), C Cooper (0-1). Subs: S Scanlon (0-1) for MacGearailt (30 mins), D Ó Cinneide (0-3) for Hassett (32 mins), A MacGearailt for Daly (half-time), J Crowley (0-1) for Cooper (55 mins).

Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).