EITHER Kerry’s or Tyrone’s season will end in the Kingdom on Saturday after the football giants were paired to meet in the stand-out game in the third round of the qualifiers.
Munster’s other representatives had mixed fortunes with Tipperary at home to Antrim and Limerick travelling to play Kildare while it’s Leitrim against Laois.
The fourth round draw was also made with beaten Munster finalists Clare having to play the winners of the Kerry-Tyrone tie and Sligo, who lost to Mayo in the Connacht decider, meeting either Kildare or Limerick.
The remaining Leinster and Ulster provincial finals are scheduled for Sunday with All-Ireland champions Dublin facing Meath at Croke Park and Donegal meeting Down in Clones.
The winners of the Tipp-Antrim game meet the losers in Ulster and the beaten Leinster finalists play either Leitrim or Laois.
Kerry were pushed all way by Westmeath in round two in Mullingar yesterday before falling over the line, winning by the minimum margin, 2-10 to 1-12.
Kerry looked to be in big trouble, when trailing by six points early in the second-half and playing against the wind, but the introduction of Darran O’Sullivan turned the game.
A quickly taken free by ‘Gooch’ Cooper sent the flying O’Sullivan on his way and a cracking finish high into the roof of the net inspired Kerry’s comeback.
Three-point contributions from Bryan Sheehan, who also converted a first-half penalty, and the ‘Gooch’ were instrumental in helping Kerry stay alive.
But there’s a major question mark hanging over O’Sullivan’s fitness ahead of Tyrone’s visit. He didn’t start because of a hamstring injury and was replaced nine minutes from the end, having been introduced at half-time.
Tipp caused one of the shocks of the weekend, when defeating Wexford by a point, 1-13 to 0-15, in Thurles, the Leinster side having gone close against Dublin in Leinster.
The only goal came after 14 minutes, when Donagh Leahy scored from close range, but Ben Brosnan almost forced extra-time, missing a chance in injury-time.
Limerick bounced back from their shock defeat by Clare in the Munster to end Longford’s campaign, though they needed extra-time en route to a 1-21 to 1-15 victory.
Derry O’Connor forced additional time with a late equalising point for Limerick and the same player wrapped it up with their lone goal near the end.
Antrim upset Galway by 0-11 to 0-10 in Belfast and Kildare hammered Cavan 3-20 to 1-9 with Seanie Johnston making his Kildare debut. Leitrim defeated Wicklow 0-13 to 0-10.
 All-Ireland football qualifiers:
Kildare v Limerick (winners v Sligo); Tipperary v Antrim (winners v losers of Donegal-Down); 
Kerry v Tyrone (winners v Clare); Leitrim v Laois (winners v losers of Dublin-Meath).