Heading into this afternoon's game between Kerry and Tyrone, most people were expecting a very close contest.
The two counties have shared some titanic championship battles down through the years, with most of their meetings coming right down to the wire. It was assumed that would be the case once again on this occasion.
The reality was different.
While the first half was a relatively close affair, it was clear that Kerry were the better team. That continued after the interval, with Jack O'Connor's side steadily widening the gap between the sides over the courser of the second half.
Goal for Kerry! - Diarmuid O'Connor extends Kerry's lead with the coolest of finishes into the back of the net.
Watch the game live now on https://t.co/C7FxP1q5Ku pic.twitter.com/rUsZVP4XHO— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 1, 2023
In the end, Kerry ran out as comfortable winners on a scoreline of 2-18 to 0-12.
Marc Ó Sé throws cheeky dig at Tyrone after Kerry loss
This was certainly a statement victory by Kerry, who have often struggled to deal with Tyrone in the past. Their most recent meeting came in 2021, a game which was embroiled in controversy before the teams even got onto the pitch.
The All-Ireland semi-final meeting between the pair was postponed for two weeks due to covid outbreak in the Tyrone camp, something that was a controversial move at the time. Some felt that the Ulster county were exploiting the rules in place at the time, something that led to a bit of a scrap between Pat Spillane and Sean Cavanagh live on RTÉ.
Kerry will certainly take some satisfaction that there was less drama around the game this time.
Speaking on GAAGO afterwards, Marc Ó Sé threw a cheeky dig at Tyrone in reference to that saga a couple of years ago.
You could tell that Marc Ó Sé had been waiting a while to get that one in 😂 pic.twitter.com/wMVA66Zel1
— Gary Connaughton (@gconnaughton15) July 1, 2023
They should have done a covid maybe, a few lads go to bed and put the game back a few weeks!
He had definitely been waiting a while for that one.
Kerry will now be preparing for an All-Ireland semi-final in two weeks time, with the Munster champions looking as though they have timed their return to form perfectly ahead of the business end of the campaign.
They will certainly be formidable opponents for whoever draws them out of the pot.
SEE ALSO: GAA Fans Furious Over Issues They Had Using GAAGO To Watch Kerry-Tyrone
