Galway lose fourth game in a row as Kerry resume winning ways

Kerry 0-16 Galway 0-08

Colm Cooper showed his class once again as Kerry condemned Galway to their fourth straight league defeat in Killarney.

Cooper scored 0-08, including five points from play, as the Kingdom got back to winning ways.

Gary Sice and Cormac Bane had Galway ahead early on, but Cooper helped Kerry move 0-08 to 0-03 ahead for half-time.

Bryan Sheehan kicked a long range free to give Kerry the lead after just 35 seconds. Galway, who lost to Connacht rivals Mayo last time out, replied with a fine 50-metre effort from Sice.

Bane, one of the Tribesmen's best players in their early season games, added a second point for a fifth minute lead.

There was little between the sides until Kerry opened up a 0-05 to 0-03 lead in the 25th minute. Cooper floated over a couple of frees, David Moran added his name to the scoresheet and Donncha Walsh fisted over to finish off a fluid team move.

Concannon, who led the Galway attack from centre-forward, opened his account with Galway's third point, but Jack O'Connor's charges, who were playing into the wind, took over in the lead-up to the break.

Kerry scored the last five points of the half, including four from the classy Cooper. The Dr. Crokes clubman delighted the crowd with one particular effort which saw him pick up possession 45 metres out, break away from two defenders and create space for a sublime individual score.

Galway goalkeeper Adrian Faherty saved his side when producing a terrific stop to deny Kieran Donaghy as Kerry hunted for the opening goal.

The hosts kept their foot on the gas at the start of the second half. Captain Cooper continued to lead by example, picking off two more points, and Sheehan landed his third of the afternoon to make it 0-11 to 0-03.

Concannon answered back with a point from play and a well-struck free and Bane also raised a white flag, with Galway stringing together three scores in the space of two minutes.

Concannon, who was the pick of the Galway forwards, finished with 0-04, but there was no danger of Kerry being overhauled in front of a crowd of over 4,000.

O'Connor unloaded his bench, bringing Anthony Maher, Declan O'Sullivan, Tom O'Sullivan, Gary O'Driscoll and David Geaney into the fray.

Cooper kept the scoreboard ticking over and hard-working midfielder Seamus Scanlon scooped over the final point of a one-sided but entertaining encounter.