Donal Barry was at Fitzgerald Stadium to see Kerry run our 1-16 to 1-6 winners over Tyrone in the first round of the Tesco Homeground National League Division 1
It may have taken 3 years to get back to Division 1 but
todayâs display in Fitzgerald Stadium suggested that Kerry have more than mere
survival planned for the new season.
Despite a slow start they eventually stretched their legs to
run out ten point winners over a Tyrone side who at time did pose some
difficult questions but seemed to fade away in the final quarter when a fitter
Kerry added 7 unanswered points to run out comfortable winners.
Kerry started brightly but it took 2-point blank saves by
Shannon Lynch to keep them at bay and they would have been disappointed with
the 0-5 to 0-2 lead after 15 mins.
Tyrone played much the better football for remainder of the
first half but with Gemma Begley their only player finding the scoring touch,
they trailed the home side 0-7 to 0-4 at the break.
Kerry moved up another gear in the second half and when
Patrice Dennehy goaled on the 38th minute, The Red hand was in
trouble.
Kerry hit a purple patch and added seven points of their own
with Louise Ni Mhuirtceartaigh and Sarah Houlihan causing all types of problems
as Tyrone began to drop off the pace.
Gemma Begley got a consolation goal on the 58th
minute to put a better gloss on the scoreboard.
Teams:
Kerry: A Brosnan,
C Lynch, 3 A Desmond, G Crowley, J Brosnan, D Hallissey, M Quirke, L Scanlon
0-1, B Breen, E Sherwood, S Houlihan 0-5 (0-2F), D Corridan, P Dennehy 1-1, L
Galvin 0-2, L Ni Mhuirtceartaigh 0-6 (0-1F).
Subs: A Lyons 0-1 for M Quirke (H/T), S J Joy for J Borsnan
(40), C OâSullivan for P Dennehy (46), C Buckley for G Crowley (50) B Lane for
S Houlihan (55), L Collins for C Lynch (55), D Murphy for D Corridan (55)
Tyrone: S Lynch,
t McLaughlin, C Muldoon, E Teague, M Donnelly, N Woods, C Dooher, E Hegarty, L
Kilpatrick, G Begley 1-6 (0-2F), C Hunter, C Donnelly, E L Mulgre, M Conwell, S
McLaughlin
Subs: C McDonald for S McLaughlin (40), R Forbes for C
Hunter (45), K Quinn for E Teague (50), L Conwell for M Conwell (52)
Referee: Michael John OâKeefe (Cork)
