Kerry destroy Westmeath

Kerry 2-11 Westmeath 0-07

Westmeath boss Paidi O Se’s return to his native county was a fruitless one tonight as defending league champions Kerry got back to winning ways at Tralee’s Austin Stack Park.

The Kingdom – who slipped to a one-point loss to Donegal last Sunday – temporarily moved second in the Division 1A standings as round 5 knocked O Se’s midlanders out for the count.

Colm Cooper’s left-footed effort on 2 minutes kick-started the Kerry bandwagon on the way to a 0-06 to no score half-time lead.

Joe Fallon’s woefully-hit 25th-minute free kick was the worst of a clutch of Westmeath wides, with Cooper again, Declan Quill – angling over a score on the back of a flying six-man move – and An Ghaeltacht star Dara O Cinneide (0-03 (3f)) on target for Jack O’Connor’s Kerry.

Although Martin Flanagan pointed immediately on the restart, Kerry struck for two excellent goals in the space of 60 seconds.

Tomas O Se rampaged forward to grab the first on 41 minutes and almost in the next attack, Liam Hassett raised another green flag.

0-01 to 2-07 down, Dessie Dolan helped the visitors gain some respect with a number of late points, as did substitute Denis Glennon – who hit the closing effort in injury time.

A run of three straight points from Eoin Brosnan, Darragh O Se and O Cinneide served to confirm Kerry’s dominance from 55 to 58 minutes.

It must have been hard to stomach for a relegation-threatened O Se – whose side will have to find their winning touch with ties against red-hot Mayo and Tyrone to come.