Kerry hold off Offaly fightback

Kerry 2-13 Offaly 0-16

First half goals from Eoin Brosnan and Colm Cooper were the highlights of Kerry's first Allianz NFL Division 1A win of the 2005, as they fended off a dogged Offaly challenge in the wind and rain of Austin Stack Park.

Jack O'Connor's side - seven-point losers against Cork eight days ago - had to fend off an 11-point second-half revival from the visitors, and the two yellow cards handed down to Tomas O Se and Paul Galvin, before winning out.

Brosnan went on a trademark gallop through the Faithfuls' defence after barely 20 seconds to net Kerry's opener.

Points followed from Paddy Kelly and Ronan O'Connor (free), with the latter's score responding to Niall McNamee and John Reynolds (0-02) efforts from Offaly.

Neville Coughlan chipped in with another to leave the visitors 1-2 to 0-4 down by the 15th minute but that was to be their final score of the first half until injury-time.

Kerry stepped up a gear Kelly, Eamonn Fitzmaurice - with a raking right-footed shot - O Se and Galvin were all on target before a flowing 27th-minute move ended with Cooper coolly goaling with a left-foot finish from Galvin's hand pass.

Two more O'Connor frees saw Kerry lead 2-6 to 0-4 - with Reynolds notching a late free - at the break.

Colm Quinn - who bagged four points in the second period - inspired Offaly back into it and with the McNamees - Alan and Niall - always on their toes, Kerry were never let get too far ahead.

Reynolds kept chipping away with place kicks too, but Kerry steadied themselves with points from Galvin, O'Connor, Cooper and Brosnan seeing them to victory.

Galvin's sin-binning in injury time - his second in the space of a week - was little more than a blemish.