Tipperary 2-06 Kerry 2-18:All-Ireland champions Kerry were convincing in the end as they opened their Munster championship with a 12-point win over Tipperary, but the underdogs did not lie down for the visitors at Thurles.
There was just one point between the teams at the break, thanks largely to an excellently taken sixth minute goal from Philip Austin.
However, Kerry found their range in the second half when two goals from Brian Sheehan and a peerless display from Kieran Donaghy quelled Tipp’s challenge.
Tipp, in fact, only registered three scores in the second half, with Barry Grogan’s goal in the 52nd briefly keeping their hopes alive.
It proved to be their last score and Kerry were already three ahead, thanks to some early points from Colm Cooper and Declan O’Sullivan, who played a crucial role in Sheehan’s 47th minute goal when his fisted effort eventually dropped to the captain.
Grogan offered hope but Sheehan and Seamus Scanlon pointed soon afterwards, before Donaghy fielded brilliantly to set up Barry John Keane for the first of his two quickfire points.
Donaghy was magnificent again when rising above two defenders to pluck the ball out of the sky and set up Sheehan’s second goal.
Grogan was then dismissed for a second yellow card and Cooper added the final score of the game that condemned Tipp to a long wait on the sideline before the qualifiers on June 26th.