Kerry’s forwards outpoint Carlow

Kerry 3-15

Kerry were the undisputed masters from the throw in, and the game was as good as over at the interval when they led by a commanding 11 points.

Carlow were outclassed in the key sectors, and while they managed a second half rally of sorts, scoring three goals, there was never even a remote possibility of them pulling this one out of the fire.

Kerry got off to a flyer with a brace of points inside ninety seconds from two of their most influential players, Michael Slattery and Shane Brick.

And when Brick rattled a 20 metre free to the net in the 6th minute the writing was already on the wall for the Carlow men.

Slattery, Brick, and Michael Conway formed a Kerry full forward line that was simply too hot to handle for the Carlow inside line of defence.

It was Conway who scored Kerry’s second goal, a really well taken one, in the 23rd minute, and with Carlow restricted to a paltry three points from Pat Coady frees in the half Kerry were all but home when they led 2-8 to 0-3 at the break.

Carlow needed early second half scores, but instead it was Kerry who registered them, and Slattery’s goal within twenty seconds of the restart all but put them out of sight.

Liam Boyle and Slattery from a free piled on the agony with further points before Carlow substitute Andrew Quirke gave his side just a glimmer of hope when he finished the ball to the net after full forward Des Murphy’s effort was saved.

Kerry however responded with points by Brick and Pat O’Connell to send the side to even safer pastures.

Both sides were reduced to fourteen on fifty minutes when Carlow’s James Hickey and Kerry’s Michael Conway were sent packing on straight red cards after a nasty flare up which resulted in Carlow goalkeeper Edmond Sprahan being stretchered off.

They had a second goal from substitute Sean Michael Murphy in the 58th minute and a scrambled third from full forward Des Murphy minutes before the end.

While the Kerry full forward trio took most of the honours and shared 3-10 of their side’s tally, they also had outstanding performers in Aidan Healy, Conor Flaherty, Liam Boyle and Pat O’Connell.

Scores for Kerry: M. Slattery (1-6, 0-4 frees); S. Brick (1-3, 1-0 free); M. Conway (1-1); P. O’Connell (0-3); L. Boyle, G. O’Brien (0-1) each.

Carlow; P. Coady (0-4, frees); A. Quirke (1-0); S. M. Murphy (1-0); D. Murphy (1-0); K. English (0-1); R. Foley (0-1).

KERRY: J. Healy; T. Cronin. A. Healy. I. Brick; J. McCarthy. C. Flaherty. C. Harris; A. Cronin. D. Young; L. Boyle. B. Brick. P. O’Connell; M. Conway. S. Brick. M. Slattery. Subs: P. Cronin for A. Cronin; I. McCarthy for B. Brick; T. Flynn for J. Healy; G. O’Brien for Young.

CARLOW: E. Sprahan; M. Keogh. S. Kavanagh. D. Shaw; K. Nolan. L. Kenny. W. Hickey; J. Hickey. K. English; S., Smithers. P. Coady. G. Doyle; B. Murphy. D. Murphy. J. Foley Subs: A. Quirke for B. Murphy; S. M. Murphy for Foley; F. Foley for Sprahan.

Referee: T. McIntyre, Antrim.