DAVID CLIFFORD’S stunning hat-trick earned Kerry a vital win over Tyrone to ease their relegation worries.
The Kingdom were five points down in the second half — and had two players including Clifford black-carded — yet outscored Tyrone with 13 men to win in Pomeroy.
The Red Hands, who brought Errigal Ciarán trio Darragh and Ruairí Canavan and Peter Harte off the bench, failed to score in the last quarter as Kerry piled on an unanswered 1-5 to grab two big league points.
Darragh Canavan bagged a goal on his return but it was Clifford, also making his first appearance of the year, who was the star of the show.
He said: “The break I had was really enjoyable and when you come back you’re not fully sure where you are because you’re training on your own.
“But it is great to get a win up here. It was a cross-wind and not easy to kick into either goal really.
“We really pressed them on the kickout and it made a massive difference to the drama of the game.”
The game was moved on Saturday from Omagh to Pomeroy, which is the highest village in Ulster.
And it was Clifford who rose to the greatest heights.
With both teams in relegation trouble before the throw-in, Tyrone looked on course to earn a precious win when they led 2-13 to 2-8 with 20 minutes to play.
Darragh Canavan, on as a sub for his first Tyrone appearance of 2025, and Mark Bradley scored goals in the third quarter as they stretched their 0-11 to 1-5 interval lead out to five points.
Joe O’Connor got a black card for hauling Darragh Canavan down as Kerry conceded a penalty, which Bradley booted into the net at the second attempt.
It was soon followed by a Clifford black card but he came back on to complete his hat-trick with another left-footed shot past Niall Morgan.
That drew Kerry level with four minutes to play and with the visitors pressing up on Tyrone’s kickouts and the home side unable to get any supply to their dangerous forwards.
Kerry controlled the closing stages and tapped over the insurance points.
Tyrone remain second from bottom in Division 1 with just two points from four games and difficult away games to come against Galway and Donegal.
Just as they did against Derry, Kerry staged a late rally to pick up the points on the road.
Despite losing both homes games so far to Donegal and Dublin, they move into mid-table safety with four points.
After such a poor display in Castlebar a week earlier, this was a much-improved performance by Tyrone, at least until the critical final quarter.
Yet the outcome was still the same and it may turn out to be a damaging defeat for them in terms of staying up.
Malachy O’Rourke’s side did not score in the opening 13 minutes and quickly found themselves four points down.
David and Paudie Clifford, Brian O Beaglaoich and Dylan Geaney were on target — and Eoin McElholm was sin-binned for the hosts.
Although a swirling breeze was making it difficult to kick into both goals, Michael McKernan and Conn Kilpatrick made light of the elements by booting three two-pointers from play between them.
Darragh Canavan then nailed a two-point free to put Tyrone 0-11 to 0-5 ahead before the first of Clifford’s goals right on the stroke of half-time.
After the interval Morgan made a good save from David Clifford, who then also struck the crossbar.
Tyrone broke up the field with Bradley finding Darragh Canavan who drilled it high into the net, Tyrone now 1-12 to 1-6 up.
But David Clifford was in irresistible form, collecting Paul Geaney’s delayed pass and lashing home his second.
The black cards for O’Connor and Clifford were far from fatal blows and despite playing against 13, Tyrone failed to manage the game and it was all Kerry in the closing stages.
When David Clifford returned he stroked home a third goal to swing the game Kerry’s way.
TYRONE: N Morgan; A Clarke, P Teague, N Devlin; M McKernan 0-4, 2 tp, R Brennan, F Burns; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick 0-2tp; M O’Neill, M Donnelly, C Daly; D McCurry 0-2f, M Bradley 1-1, E McElholm. Subs: D Canavan 1-4, 2f, 1 tpf for O’Neill 22 mins; R Canavan for McCurry 47; S O’Donnell for Burns 51; P Harte for Donnelly 59; K McGeary for McElholm 66.
KERRY: S Ryan; D Bourke, J Foley, D Casey 0-1; G O’Sullivan 0-1, M Breen, B O Beaglaoich 0-1; D O’Connor 0-1, J O’Connor 0-1; D Lyne, P Clifford 0-1, R Murphy; D Clifford 3-3, 2f, P Geaney 0-3f, D Geaney 0-1. Subs: C Geaney for D Geaney 46 mins; BD O’Sullivan for Murphy 56; M Burns for P Geaney 64; P Murphy for O Beaglaoich 68.
REFEREE: P Neilan (Roscommon).
