Kerry 2-14 Tipperary 0-5
Danielle O'Leary bagged eight points as Kerry had a 15-point victory over Tipperary at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney in Round 1 of the TG4 Munster Senior Championship.
O’Leary was simply unstoppable, notching five points in the first half, as Tipperary had no answer to her pace and finishing power.
A below-par opening period from both sides saw Kerry take a flattering 1-05 to 0-04 lead in at the short whistle, with the five-point haul from O’Leary a major highlight.
The home side's passes weren’t going to hand in the opening exchanges but after a series of turnovers they finally got off the mark in the sixth minute with the brilliant O’Leary popping over after an assist from hard-working skipper Niamh Carmody.
O’Leary slotted her second a minute later before Aishling Moloney hit a monster effort from 40 metres to get Tipperary’s first score.
Katie Brosnan fed the rampant O’Leary for her 3rd on the quarter hour mark but Emma Morrissey, a very effective performer on the wing hit a fine individual effort to bring Tipperary to with a single score.
Kerry hit two on the trot with O’Leary once again providing the finishes, and with Deirdre Kearney dominating at the back the game appeared to be going to script for the hot favourites.
Tipperary were resilient and hit back through an Aishling Moloney free and Emma Morrissey with her second from play and with a minute left in the opening half Kerry led by 0-5 to 0-4.
There was one last act to the half though and as Tipperary attempted to build from the back, goalkeeper Lauren Fitzpatrick was turned over in the middle of the field by Niamh Carmody.
The Kerry captain fed Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, and with an empty goal the Kerry sharpshooter shot to the net from 25 metres to see Kerry take a 1-5 to 0-4 lead into the dressing room.
Ciara O’Brien, O’Leary, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh from a poor kick out, Carmody with her deserved first, and O’Leary with a fine individual effort for her seventh, pushed Kerry into a 1-10 to 0-4 lead before Anna Rose Kennedy got one back for Tipperary in the 50th minute.
Substitutes Lorraine Scanlon, Aoife Dillane and Niamh Ní Chonchúir slotted points before another sub Emma Dineen struck for a goal to emphasise the strength of the Kerry bench.
The final score of the game fittingly fell to Danielle O’Leary and the Kerry victory was complete.
Kerry: M.E. Bolger; C Murphy, E Lynch, C O’Brien 0-01; A O’Connell, K Cronin, C Lynch; M O’Connell, D Kearney; A Galvin, N Carmody 0-01, A Harrington; K Brosnan, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 1-01, D O’Leary 0-05.
Subs: H O’Donoghue for K Brosnan 38, N Ní Chonchúir 0-01 for C O’Brien 42, E Dineen 1-00 for A Harrington 45, L Scanlon 0-01 for A Galvin 48, A Dillane 0-01 for C Murphy 52.
Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; E Kelly, L Spillane, E Cronin; C O’Dwyer, M Curley, S English; L Morrissey, AR Kennedy 0-01; E Morrissey 0-02, A McGuigan, A Moloney 0-02 (1f); N Towey, K Downey, E McCarthy.
Subs: C English for N Towey 38, S Ryan for E McCarthy 56, H Spillane for K Downey 58, A Downey for A Moloney 60.
Referee: Patrick Smith (Waterford).
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