Kerry will need a massive performance against "very confident" Tyrone - O'Connor

July 10, 2025

Kerry manager Jack O'Connor ©INPHO/Evan Treacy

Kerry manager Jack O’Connor says “it’s going to take some performance” from his side to defeat Tyrone in Saturday’s crunch All-Ireland SFC semi-final at Croke Park.

The Kingdom are looking to advance to their third Sam Maguire Cup decider in four years when they meet the Red Hands in the capital this weekend, with the bookmakers ranking them as 8/15 favourites to do so.

Speaking to BelfastLive.co.uk this week in the build-up to his side’s last four showdown, O’Connor said his side are facing into “a highly dangerous game” against Malachy O’Rourke’s men.

“I’d never underestimate Tyrone. I’ve good reason not to. If you look at some of the results they’ve had, there are not too many teams who go to Ballybofey and win,” said the four-time All-Ireland winning boss.

“We’ve found that, even in the league, it’s traditionally a very tough place to go. Donegal take you to Ballybofey for a reason, because they see it as a fortress.

“That would have done an awful lot for Tyrone’s confidence to go to Ballybofey and win, and any day you beat Dublin in Croke Park is a big day.

“They’ll be very confident, and I’d say they’ll privately be delighted that there was a lot of noise over the Kerry-Armagh game. It’s almost like their win over Dublin has gone in under the radar.

“That’s good for them, so we’ll have a lot of work to do. It’s a highly dangerous game, and it’s going to take some performance to win it.”


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