It was a good day for beaten provincial finalists as Kerry and Derry secured All-Ireland MFC semi-final spots at the expense of Tyrone and Cork respectively.
In the first game at MW Hire O'Moore Park, Kerry bounced back from their disappointing Munster final defeat to Cork by dumping out Ulster champions Tyrone 0-08 to 1-04 in blustery conditions.
Tyrone made the perfect start as Caolan Donnelly palmed home a goal to open the scoring in the seventh minute and, after Cormac Dillon had responded, Noah Grimes landed a free for the Red Hands.
They would only score once more in the half though as Kerry led at the break 0-06 to 1-02 with Dillon (2), Jack Clifford, Paddy Lane and Darragh O’Sullivan all on target for the Munster side.
Eddie Healy pushed Kerry two ahead early in the second half, before Ronan Molloy responded.
A Fionn Murphy free put Kerry two ahead late on and as Tyrone went in search of a match-winning goal, all they could muster was a Donnelly point blasted over in the final seconds.
In the second game in Portlaoise, Derry, who narrowly lost to Tyrone in the Ulster final, were far too powerful for Munster champions Cork, the Oakleaf County winning 0-12 to 0-06.
Derry made a fast start with Ciaran Chambers hitting a brace and Odhran Crozier and Odhran Murphy on target to give them a 0-04 to 0-01 lead.
Colm Gillespie responded for the Rebels but Chambers was again on target to leave Derry, who had good goal chances at the start and end of the first half, 0-05 to 0-02 ahead at the turn.
Ruairi Forbes pushed Derry ahead right from the second-half throw-in and two Chambers frees put six between them.
Brian Hayes grabbed Cork’s third point but Derry’s response was quick through Eoin Higgins and Murphy to leave it 0-10 to 0-03 with just over 10 minutes remaining.
The sides swapped frees before Gillespie and Hayes gave Cork a glimmer of hope late on, but Derry had the final say through Shea Birt.
Watch Cork v Limerick (1.30pm) and Armagh v Donegal (4pm) live on RTÉ2, listen live on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport and follow live updates on RTÉ Sport Online or the RTÉ News app. Highlights of all the weekend's action on The Sunday Game, RTÉ2, from 9.30pm.
