TYRONE 2-7 KILDARE 0-12
Kildare passed over a glorious opportunity to turn over All-Ireland champions, Tyrone in awful conditions at Omagh this afternoon.
Daniel Flynn had a stoppage time goal chance, which he blazed over the top, while Mark Donnellan’s late free from out near the sideline dropped wide and short.
Three minutes from the end of normal time Darragh Kirwan also had a goal chance after good work from fellow sub Alex Beirne, but Niall Morgans stood up big and pulled off the stop.
This defeat means Kildare still have just one point, and it really sets up bottom of the table Dublin’s visit to Newbridge next Sunday.
For Tyrone the win brought respite and removed the spectre of relegation with tough ties against Donegal, Dublin, Mayo and Kerry to come.
They moved onto three points here thanks to a couple of superbly created and executed goals.
Darragh Canavan set up the first for Conn Kilpatrick, just two minutes into the second half as Tyrone closed the gap to a point.
Kildare really dug in hard and looked to have weathered the storm.
But Conor Meyler’s perfectly weighted hand pass to McCurry, who rifled to the roof of the net, gave the home side a one point lead on 58 minutes in a pulsating contest.
They were fortunate enough to see it out with late points from Richie Donnelly from 40 metres, and McCurry, off the post.
Tyrone started without suspended quartet, Padraig Hampsey, Michael McKernan, Peter Harte and Kieran McGeary, while there was no sign of Mattie Donnelly, and Cathal McShane dropped to the bench.
Frank Burns moved to corner back with Rory Brennan coming in at full back and Carrickmore’s Munroes - Cormac and Johnny - starting.
Padraig McNulty also got a start at midfield with Conor McKenna getting the nod up front.
Kildare enjoyed a blistering start, leading by 0-6 to 0-2 after 12 minutes but didn’t score for 23 minutes as Tyrone started to figure them out at the back.
It got so dark that the flood lights came on in the 27th minute, shortly before 4.15pm.
The next minute the sun was blazing across the field, but the howling wind and incessant rain continued throughout.
The players deserve great credit for putting on a fine spectacle, with the movement of McCurry and Canavan, and Meyler’s ball carrying standing out in the first half.
Kildare won three marks in front of goal courtesy of some fine footpassing inside, but only Paddy Woodgate converted his.
Daniel Flynn and Jimmy Hyland both opted to go with their left foot, when a right footed kick might have been wiser. Hyland also wided a free.
The wind was tricky but in Kildare’s favour and they could have done with a couple of these to give themselves a healthier half-time lead than four points.
Hyland and Flynn were lively inside causing Cormac Munroe and Rory Brennan all sorts of problems in the new-look Tyrone defence.
As the half wore on Tyrone started to double up more on Flynn.
The All-Ireland champions also created three gilt edged goal chances in the first half.
Darragh Canavan was on the end of all three.
One went after Tyrone over-elaborated, another was saved by Kildare goalkeeper Mark Donnellan and he struck the crossbar with the third.
Kildare had one sniff at goal late in the half, as Hyland nipped inside off a Shea Ryan flick, but his loopy shot went over the top to leave it 0-8 to 0-4 at the break.
The visitors had seven first half wides, three from Flynn and two from Hyland, to Tyrone’s two, although Niall Sludden and Canavan left a couple of efforts short and Paul Donaghy went short with a free he might have popped over from 21 metre free.
That decision, in itself, was an indicator of the awful conditions.
There was drama in the lead up to half-time when Flynn tried to lob Tyrone goalkeeper Moran, who had earlier drilled over a brilliant 45, but the Red Hand number one got a hand to his shot.
It was typical of a real topsy turvy that could have gone either way.
TYRONE: N Morgan (0-1, 45), C Munroe, R Brennan, F Burns, N Sludden, J Munroe, C Meyler, P McNulty, C Kilpatrick (1-0), D Canavan, C McKenna, N Donnelly, D McCurry (1-3, 1f), B Kennedy, P Donaghy (0-2, 1f).
SUBS: R Donnelly (0-1) for McNulty 44mins, C McShane for McKenna 54mins, B McDonnell for Donaghy 59mins, L Rafferty for Kilpatrick 69mins.
KILDARE: M Donnellan (0-2,1 45, 1f), M O’Grady, S Ryan, R Houlihan, T Archbold, J Murray, D Ryan, A Masterson, K Flynn, Con Kavanagh, B McCormack, P Cribbin (0-2), P Woodgate (0-2, 1mk), D Flynn (0-3), J Hyland (0-2).
SUBS: A Beirne for Kavanagh 49mins, F Conway for Cribbin 55mins, D Kirwan (0-1) for McCormack 59mins, J Sargent for Ryan 61mins, D Hyland for Murray 69mins.
REFEREE: M McNally (Monaghan)
