Tyrone see off brave Kerry charge

Tyrone 1-13 Kerry 0-14

His poise and positioning were sorely missed by an overworked home defence, which also lost Eamon Fitzmaurice before the throw-in. That left the Kerry selectors shorn of four key defenders. In the event, the selectors gambled on Riobárd MacGearailt in the pivotal role, and while he started brightly, he clearly was out of his depth as a highly motivated Tyrone side took the spoils in a lively contest.

In an rearranged defence, Tom O'Sullivan lined out at full-back on Peter Canavan and did well on the Tyrone danger man. However, Tomás Ó Sé struggled to cope with Eoin Mulligan while MacGearailt, after a bright opening, began to struggle and was eventually substituted by Séamus Scanlon. Brian Dooher roamed the length and breath of the ground, and was hugely influential for the defending League champions, particularly in the opening half when Tyrone were at their most dangerous.