Tyrone have been relegated to Division Two after a 0-17 to 1-14 draw with Kerry at Omagh.

The result sees the All-Ireland champions, who welcomed back Colm Cooper as a second-half sub, survive the drop but is not enough to secure them a place in the Division One semi-finals.

At the end of an exciting first half, Mickey Harte's charges led by the odd points from 15: 0-8 to 0-7.

Johnny Buckley and Sean Cavanagh (free) swapped the first two points and Red Hands stalwart Cavanagh edged his team ahead on six minutes from a close-range free culminating from a purposeful Peter Harte run.

A minute later, Darren McCurry doubled the difference with the hosts' first score from play and Peter Harte drilled over an excellent Tyrone point from distance in the 13th minute - after Kingdom midfielder David Moran had done likewise at the other end - to make it 0-4 to 0-2.

Bryan Sheehan's effort was cancelled out by a routine Cavanagh free on 20 minutes but Kerry playmaker Sheehan replied with a well-struck free eight minutes later to leave one between the sides as the interval approached.

Paul Murphy's dubious free tied the sides up with four minutes left in the first half. The opening period finished in a flurry as the hosts had points from Mattie Donnelly and wing back Ronan McNabb before the Kingdom again drew level with scores from Buckley and Sheehan (free). Deep into injury time, Cavanagh popped over another free to give his side the slenderest of advantages.

A trademark long-range Sheehan free had the visitors back on terms within seconds of the restart but McCurry's left peg claimed the next score a few minutes later. The lead changed hands as substitute Paul Geaney equalised  before corner back Murphy swung over the score that made it 0-10 to 0-9 in favour of the All-Ireland champions.

When Geaney drilled the ball low to the net after gathering a rebound ten minutes into the second half, Tyrone's Division One status was suddenly hanging by a thread. McCurry replied with a point before Cavanagh surprisingly pulled a goal chance wide of the target.

Temperatures rose after Geaney restored the visitors' four-point cushion and the margin remained at four going into the final quarter after McCurry (free) and substitute Darran O'Sullivan swapped scores. Sub Joe McMahon blazed a Tyrone goal chance over the bar and the gap was down to two points on 59 minutes thanks to another McCurry free.

Cavanagh's free made it a one-point game with eight minutes left (1-12 to 0-14) and Kerry decided it was time to throw one Colm Cooper into the fray! But the drama was taking place at the other end where Cavanagh booted over a superb free from distance to tie the scores up again on 65 minutes.

It was like old times as 'Gooch' placed Kieran Donaghy, who fisted over with a minute of normal time remaining. Donnelly almost found the net for the hosts on the stroke of full time but his effort seemed to come back off the woodwork. There was time for McCurry to land the final point of the game in the second added minute.

Alas, the draw was not enough for the Red Hands, who will play their league football in the second division next Spring.

Tyrone - J Curran; A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; R McNabb (0-1), Justin McMahon, P Harte (0-1); C Cavanagh, P McNulty; T McCann, M Donnelly (0-1), R McKenna; D McCurry (0-7, 2f), S Cavanagh (0-6f), P Hughes. Subs: Joe McMahon (0-1) for P McNulty, C McAliskey for P Hughes, PJ Lavery for T McCann, R O'Neill for Justin McMahon, C McCann for R McKenna.

Kerry - B Kealy; P Murphy (0-2), M Griffin, S Enright; J Lyne, P Crowley, K Young; A Maher (0-1), D Moran (0-1); A Fitzgerald, B Sheehan (0-4, 3f), J Buckley (0-2); S O'Brien, K Donaghy (0-1), BJ Keane. Subs: P Geaney (1-2) for BJ Keane, D O'Sullivan (0-1) for A Fitzgerald, M O Se for P Crowley, F Fitzgerald for K Young, C Cooper for B Sheehan, T Walsh for S O'Brien (BC).

Referee - J McQuillan.

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