National Football League

Division 2

Tyrone 2-11 Kildare 0-12

It may be early days but the bright lights of Croker and dazzling second half performance of the Tyrone men have left Kildare with a difficult task if securing Division 1 status for 2013 is still to be achieved. They produced a grandstand second half showing of pace and power that Kildare just couldn't match with 2 palmed goals from Martin Penrose and Peter Harte the pivotal scores. Whilst the opening half was productive for a Kildare team donning their new bottle green attire, they looked listless and heavy legged in the face of the O'Neill county onslaught in that second period. Question marks will surely be raised over the loss of home advantage again as it's hard to imagine a Tyrone team managing such a master class on St. Conleth's heavier sod but hindsight is always 20:20 and Kildare will have much to put right before the trip to Clones to face Monaghan next Sunday if they're to get their 2012 campaign off the mark.

It all looked a lot rosier at half time as the Lilies hit the warmth of their Cusack Stand dressing room with a handy three point lead on the back of a spirited first half display. The peerless Stephen O'Neill kicked the opening brace of Tyrone points inside 12 minutes to settle Tyrone but from there to half time Kildare were the dominant force with Tomás O'Connor as fulcrum of the attack proving a handful for young Conor Clarke at full back. Frees from Eoghan O'Flaherty and Mikey Conway tied the scores on 18 minutes as Kildare warmed to their task. Peter Kelly assumed the role generally occupied by his counterpart Hugh McGrillen by foraying up the field and fisting over from a clever Mikey Conway pass. Kildare's next move was arguably their best with some lovely work out the field allowing O'Connor feed the onrushing Padraig O'Neill who clipped over off his left where a goal was certainly on. Conway followed with his second- this one from play with his right boot- before an Owen Mulligan free offered some respite for Tyrone they having come unstuck against a disciplined Kildare defensive effort for the previous 20 barren minutes. Mikey Conway was left to finish the scoring for the half with a simple free from the right side seeing the Lilies hitting the break 0-6 to 0-3 to the good having played the best of the football on show.

A totally reinvigorated looking Tyrone side took to the pitch in the second half and had slipped into the lead inside six minutes. O'Neill kicked his 3rd point following a cheap Kildare turnover but a sweeping Tyrone move started by full forward Mark Donnelly 20 yards from his own goal that ended up with Martin Penrose batting the ball past Shane Connolly to put them 1-4 to 0-6 in front. Johnny Doyle-introduced for the first time in the 2012 season- kicked a gem from under the Cusack Stand to level matters but Mulligan and sub Ronan O'Neill kicked Tyrone back into a two point lead. Kildare to their credit kicked the next three points (Padraig O'Neill from play, an O'Flaherty 45' and a Mikey Conway free) of the game to go 0-10 to 1-6 ahead but it would their last time to hold the lead. A McCaul point marked and helped spark a concerted spell of Tyrone power and dominance that put the game out of sight. The imperious Peter Harte manufactured and eventually finished, with great bravery, Tyrone's second goal past the on rushing Shane Connolly and it copper fastened their growing belief. Their backs were up and a trademark Owen Mulligan dummy resulted in a beautiful point that sidekick O'Neill attempted to outdo with a 50 yard monster from play just a couple of minutes later to put six points between the teams with just seven minutes remaining. Rather than roll over Kildare did what they do best and battled away to the bitter end. A tidy Conway point from the left wing preceded a converted free which left the scores at 2-10 to 0-12. A goal was required but Tommy O'Neill was fouled as he pulled the trigger with referee Michael Duffy bizarrely ignoring the obvious tug on his right arm. A more guilt edge chance was spurned just on full time when Eamonn Callaghan sliced wide of the goal from 5 yards to leave Mark Donnelly finish the scoring with a deserved late point.

Tyrone: Pascal McConnell; Aidan McCrory, Conor Clarke, PJ Quinn; Cathal McCarron, Peter Harte, Sean O'Neil; Michael Murphy, Aidan Cassidy; Matthew Donnelly, Peter Hughes, Martin Penrose,; Owen Mulligan, Mark Donnelly, Stephen O'Neill.

Subs: Damien McCaul for Quinn, Ronan O'Neill for Hughes, Niall McKenna for Cassidy, Ryan McMenamin for Mattie Donnelly, Sean Cavanagh for Penrose

Kildare: Shane Connolly; Peter Kelly, Ciaran Fitzpatrick, Ollie Lyons; Brian Flanagan, Tommy O'Neill, Eoghan O'Flaherty; D aryl Flynn, Ronan Sweeney; Tommy Moolick, Mikey Conway, Padraig O'Neill, James Kavanagh, Tomas O'Connor, Alan Smith.

Subs: Johnny Doyle for Moolick, Hugh McGrillen for Flanagan, Eamonn Callaghan for Smith, Morgan O'Flaherty for Fitzpatrick, Rob Kelly for Flynn
Referee: Michael Duffy (Sligo)