Peter Canavan inspired Tyrone's second-half charge at O'Neill Park, and an experimental Kerry side finally buckled under the intense pressure.

Fielding just four of their All-Ireland winning side, Kerry competed adequately in a scrappy first half, but after springing Canavan from the bench at the break, Tyrone finally rediscovered the attacking form which had destroyed Dublin a fortnight earlier.

Paidi O Se admitted he had learned little from the experimental side he sent out, and is looking forward to bringing his Sam Maguire Cup winners back together after Christmas.

Canavan was delighted to see his side go top of the Division 1A table, but didn't get carried away by beating the depleted All-Ireland champions. "It would have been a big scalp had Kerry come here with their All-Ireland winning team, but unfortunately they arrived with about half that team, maybe less.

The sides were level at 0-3 each when both were reduced to 14 men in the 27th minute, Kerry defender Eamon Breen and Tyrone midfielder Cormac McAnallen were sent off following a clash.

The inevitable arrival of Canavan as a half-time substitute injected some much-needed urgency into the Tyrone attack. First he eased his side ahead from a free, and moments later sent a shot crashing against the crossbar. Seven minutes into the half, Tyrone struck for their first goal. Defenders Declan McCrossan, who had another fine game, and Sean Teague pressed forward, Stephen O'Neill also got himself heavily involved and Eoin Mulligan applied the sweet finish. But Kerry weathered the storm, and two points from Mike Frank Russell and a Declan Quill free made it 1-6 to 0-6.

Then came another touch of Canavan magic, his perfect pass sending midfielder Peter Campbell in for a 61st-minute goal and a seven points lead for the Ulster side. Canavan was again involved in Tyrone's third goal, finished with a touch of audacity by Stephen O'Neill. It was Mulligan, with his second, who rounded off a solid afternoon's work for Tyrone with a fourth goal in injury-time.

TYRONE: F McConnell; R McMenamin, C Holmes, M McGee; C Gourley, S Teague, D McCrossan; C McAnallen, P Campbell (1-0); B McLaughlin, S O'Neill (1-4), G Cavlan; E Mulligan (2-1), K Hughes, D Gormley (0-1). Subs: P Canavan (0-2) for Gormley, B McGuigan for McLaughlin, C McGinley foir McCrossan.

Kerry: P O'Leary; G Walsh, M McCarthy, K Burns; K Scanlon, E Fitzmaurice, E Breen; D Daly, K Dillon; B Sheehan, E Galvin (0-2), S O'Connor; MF Russell (0-3), M Quirke, G Farrell. Subs: D Quill (0-1) for Sheehan, G McGrath for Quirke, S O'Sullivan for Burns, S Hegarty for Walsh.

Referee: P Conway (Sligo).