Kerry bring quick end to Mayo’s return

KERRY and Tipperary recorded impressive victories in round One of the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship qualifiers yesterday before the winners were handed tough round-two matches.

All eyes were on Mayo following their recent reinstatement in the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC but the Westerners bowed out in their first match as Kerry scored a 0-12 to 1-8 victory in the first match of a double-header in Banagher.

Cora Staunton scored 1-6 for Mayo but it wasn’t enough to defeat Kerry, who had a six-point haul from leading scorer Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh.

The first half was closely contested and level five times before the sides went in deadlocked at the interval, 0-5 apiece.

Staunton netted two minutes after the break with a smart finish but Kerry responded in brilliant style with a run of six unanswered points to surge 0-11 to 1-5 in front.

That scoring burst provided the platform for victory as the Kingdom held off a late rally from Mayo to clinch a famous one-point victory.

In the second game at the Offaly venue, Tipperary produced a brilliant attacking performance to crush Meath by 2-16 to 0-9.

Full-forward Patricia Hickey scored 2-4 while former All-Star Edel Hanley kicked seven points for the Premier County.

At half-time, Tipp were eight points clear, 1-8 to 0-3 as Hickey notched 1-4 in the first half.

Elaine Duffy offered some resistance for Meath with a seven-point haul but Hickey’s second goal, set up by impressive substitute Gillian O’Brien, settled this tie as a contest midway through the second half.

Tipp’s reward is a second-round qualifier meeting with Clare. The sides already met in this year’s Munster Championship, when Clare overturned an eight-point half-time deficit to win with a powerful second-half display.

Kerry will now play beaten Ulster finalists Armagh while the remaining second-round ties will see Kildare take on beaten Leinster finalists Laois with beaten Connacht finalists Sligo facing Tyrone.

Scorers for Kerry: L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-6, P Dennehy & S Houlihan 0-2 each, B Lane & L Scanlon 0-1 each.

Scorers for Mayo: C Staunton 1-6, M Carter & S Cafferkey 0-1 each.

Scorers for Meath: E Duffy 0-7, J Rispin & S Martin 0-1 each.

Scorers for Tipperary: P Hickey 2-4, E Hanley 0-7, G O’Brien 0-3, J Grant & A O’Gorman 0-1 each.

Round two draw: Clare v Tipperary; Sligo v Tyrone; Armagh v Kerry; Laois v Kildare.