Kerry - 2-11 Roscommon - 0-4:Kerry cruised to victory over hapless Roscommon in this Division One A contest in front of 6,000 spectators at Austin Stack Park, Tralee, yesterday.
Kerry were dominant in all sectors with Donal Daly and Darragh Ó Sé controlling midfield. Barry O'Shea beat Gerry Lohan to every ball and with Mike McCarthy having Nigel Dineen in a vice-like grip, Roscommon carried no threat up front.
Kerry's attack was moving with menace from the throw-in, with Billy Sheehan and Seán O'Sullivan linking well with the inside line, where Colm Cooper turned creator and Declan Quill became the executioner.
Kerry had the points secured by half-time. Dara Ó Cinnéide with two frees and Declan Quill with another gave Kerry a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after 15 minutes with Ronan Cox kicking Roscommon's point.
Kerry then struck a purple patch as Darragh Ó Sé sent Eoin Brosnan through in the 18th minute and he found Colm Cooper, who drew the cover before parting to Declan Quill to rifle the ball to the Roscommon net.
Quill and Dineen swapped points before the Kerry machine struck again in the 25th minute. This time Ó Cinnéide foraged deep for he ball before finding Cooper, who fed Brosnan on the burst. Brosnan cut through the defence before parting to Quill, who blasted the ball to the net.
When Seán O'Sullivan pointed from the sideline in the 26th minute it was 2-5 to 0-2 and the game was over as a contest. Gary Cox's injury-time point from a free-kick left the half-time score 2-5 to 0-3.
The second half was a non-event. Roscommon's only point of the half came in the 64th minute from substitute Brian Higgins. The highlights of this drab second half were a brilliant save by Diarmuid Murphy, a Declan O'Sullivan point in the 56th minute after a run of 50 yards, and the final whistle.
Kerry selector John O'Dwyer was happy with the two points and the fact Kerry left last week's form behind them.
"The two points were most important and we were happy with the performance of the backs and the forwards, after last Saturday night we were happy and hopefully things are back on track."
KERRY: D Murphy; T O'Sullivan, B O'Shea, M McCarthy; T Ó Sé, S Moynihan, J Sheehan; D Ó Sé, D Daly; S O'Sullivan (0-2), E Brosnan (0-1), B Sheehan; D Quill (2-4, one free), D Ó Cinneide (0-3, frees), C Cooper. Subs. D O'Sullivan (0-1) for D Ó Cinneide (52 mins), M Ó Sé for T Ó'Se (53 mins), M Lyons for B O'Shea (58 mins), S Scanlon for D Ó Sé (64 mins), R MacGearailt for S O'Sullivan ( 65 mins).
ROSCOMMON: S Curran; J Nolan, D Casey, J Whyte; A McPadden, A Carberry, P Noone; K Mannion, A Nolan; S Lohan, R Cox (0-1), G Cox (0-1); N Dineen (0-1), G Lohan, F Grehan. Subs: F Dolan for G Lohan (33 mins), D Moran for A Carberry (half-time), B Higgins (0-1) for A Nolan (45 mins), I Daly for P Noone (50 mins), C Connelly for G Cox ( 54 mins).
Referee: M Ryan ( Limerick).
